About the Butte County Veterans Stand Down

The mission of the Butte County Veterans Stand Down is to provide an atmosphere that promotes healing through the collaboration of community members, service providers, businesses, and government agencies in a forum that promotes success for United States Veterans that are experiencing homelessness, displacement, disability, food insecurity, and/or other crises. We strive to remove barriers in order to keep Veterans moving forward and achieving goals.

Stand Downs are typically free events that provide supplies and services to homeless Veterans, such as food, clothing, health screenings and valuable benefits counseling. Veterans can also receive referrals to other assistance such as health care, housing solutions, employment, substance use treatment and mental health counseling. Although the event lasts only a few days, the services may continue afterwards. We typically have over 50 service providers focused on the needs of our Veterans.

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.