The mission of the Butte County Veterans Stand Down is to provide community members, service providers, businesses, and Veteran and County Agencies a forum to provide United States Veterans experiencing homelessness, displacement, disability, and/or other crises the necessary services, resources, and support to assist them in moving forward and achieving their goals.
Stand Downs are typically one- to three-day events providing supplies and services to homeless Veterans, such as food, clothing, health screenings and VA Social Security benefits counseling. Veterans can also receive referrals to other assistance such as health care, housing solutions, employment, substance use treatment and mental health counseling. They are collaborative events, coordinated between local VA Medical Centers, the Department of Labor (DOL), other government agencies and community-based homeless service providers.
The original Stand Down for the homeless veterans was modeled after the Stand Down concept used during the Vietnam War to provide a safe retreat for units returning from combat operations. At secure base camp areas, troops were able to take care of personal hygiene, get clean uniforms, enjoy warm meals, receive medical and dental care, mail and receive letters, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment. Stand Down afforded battle-weary soldiers the opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being. Stand Down is an intervention that was conceived from the ground up specifically for veterans. It is designed to transform the despair and immobility of homeless into the momentum necessary to get into recovery, to resolve legal issues, to seek employment, to access health and benefits, to reconnect with the community and to get off the streets…A very tall order for a three-day event. Stand Down is a belief in the triumph of the human spirit over extraordinary odds. It grows out of a conviction that the overwhelming number of homeless veterans on the streets of America is unacceptable and that the veteran community itself must respond. The Butte County Veterans Stand Down restarted in 2021 after a 10 year hiatus.
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