Veterans Stand Down For Homelessness


The tenth annual Veterans Stand Down for Homelessness Resource and Job Fair will be held on October 8 & 9, 2013 respectively at the Savannah Civic Center from 8:00 am until 2:00 PM. The Stand Down is a collaborative effort by area veteran’s organizations and local nonprofits to reach veterans and others in the Savannah area that are facing homelessness. Representatives from more than 40 Social Service agencies will be available to provide information and outreach on a variety of services including housing options, job resources, resume writing tips, substance abuse treatment, income tax assistance, and accesses to Social Security and Veteran’s Administration services.

The Stand Down (a military term used during active war to state the soldier will “stand down” from the action to get a hot meal, haircut and clean clothing) was adapted by two Vietnam era veterans in 1988 that recognized veterans were highly represented in the homeless population. Participants will be offered a hot meal, haircuts, showers and opportunities for a variety of health screenings. The Stand Down is intended to serve homeless veterans but is open to all individuals and families impacted by homelessness. There is no cost to attend.

Homeless veterans are more responsive to offers of help from other veterans as noted by the Chatham- Savannah Authority for the Homeless. This event is a collaboration by Savannah’s military and nonprofit communities to reach veterans in crisis and connect them with programs and services that will end their homelessness.

Veteran’s programs include The Carl Vinson VA Medical Center of Dublin, GA; The Savannah VA Community Based Out-patient Clinic; The Savannah Vet Center, The American Legion Post 500 and Savannah Counseling Services, Inc.-Jail Diversion Trauma Recovery program. For more info go to www.homelessauthority.org



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.