CLEARLAKE >> The Mendocino and Lake County Stand Down/Homeless Veteran”s Resource Fair will be held on Sept. 10 and 11 at the Clearlake Memorial Building from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The term “stand down” in times of war meant that exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety, according to Kristina Grogan, Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency communication coordinator Today, Stand Down refers to a community-based intervention program designed to help veterans, active duty service members, reserve and guard service members and their families. The Stand Down concept is all about Americans helping Americans; this event will mark Mendocino and Lake counties” inaugural Stand Down.
Veterans, active duty personnel and their families are encouraged to come out to the two-day event to learn about the benefits that are readily available to them, Grogan stated. These resources will be gathered all in one place to provide services on site, education and enrollment in programs that will meet the short- and/or long-term needs of the entire family.
Many veterans are unable to access the services they required because the agencies are spread out over a wide geographic area, Grogan stated.
“This is especially frustrating for disabled or homeless veterans exerting undue time and energy going from one agency to another. In assisting our veterans who are homeless, sometimes it takes just one small service for them to break out of the cycle of homelessness, such as needing a photo ID card, a bus token or a pair of shoes to start a new job,” Grogan stated.
The Stand Down will offer access to a wide range of services, which include on-site medical and dental attention, as well as, on-site enrollment in health care and supplemental nutrition programs, Grogan stated. Employment and educational counselling and benefits, legal services and mental health counselling will also be available. Homeless and at-risk services include clothing, food boxes and housing assistance. Lunch will also be served.
Volunteers are needed prior to, during and after the event and donations are welcome. Any amount of time is appreciated, Grogan stated.
If interested, contact the Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency Veterans Service Office at 463-4226 or watkinsa@co.mendocino.ca.us.
Visit the Mendocino Veterans” Services Office, located at 405 Observatory Ave. in Ukiah, for more information on volunteering, donations or benefits.
“The services provided at the Stand Down/Homeless event are in place to honor the time, the effort and the sacrifices that has been given to our country,” Grogan stated.
The Clearlake Memorial Building is located at 14770 Austin Road.
