A Stand
Down for Homeless Veterans event is meant to gather resources all in one place,
so veterans can get support, ask questions, and make connections without having
to travel for them.
But to
Michael Strom, the best part of the annual resource fair are the people who
attend.
"I
think the most helpful thing about this is it allows veterans to connect with
other veterans," said Strom, an Albany resident who served three and a
half years with the U.S. Navy in Desert Storm.
"They're
more willing to talk to each other," he added. "There's similar shoes that we
walk."
In
military slang, to "stand down" is to relax. According to the National Coalition for
Homeless Veterans, the "stand down" concept as a location began
during the Vietnam War. Stand Downs were
areas designated as safe retreats for units returning from combat; places they
could grab a shower, a clean uniform, and a warm meal.
Stand Down
for Homeless Veterans events began in San Diego in 1988. Linn-Benton Community College played host to a
mid-valley Stand Down resource fair Thursday, the second consecutive year it
has done so.
Events the
previous two years were held in Lebanon. Before that, veterans looking for such an
event had to travel to Salem or Eugene.
Mikalyn
Martinez, a case manager for Support Services for Veterans Families and one of
the event volunteers, said she thinks the community college's central location
makes it better for bringing in additional people. Volunteers weren't sure how many veterans to
expect for the five-hour fair, but 42 had checked in during the first two
hours.
Visitors
to this year's event were invited to talk with a variety of service
representatives, all of whom stood ready to help them with insurance benefits,
low-income housing, health and dental questions, employment information, and
more.
Volunteers
at one booth provided free haircuts. Another room was stocked with clothing to give
away. Still another area had tents,
sleeping bags, and other equipment to ease the strain of outdoor living.
Michael
Beck said he particularly appreciated the cold weather stock. He doesn't currently have need of it – the retired
Air Force veteran has found housing – but he has been homeless and knows the
need.
Beck went
to Stand Down events in Lebanon and Newport in 2016 to pick up items to help
him survive the winter. "It just made
life a little easier," he said.
Even now,
he said, the Stand Down at LBCC helps him fill some basic needs he can't
otherwise afford.
"Some
way, I'm going to try to pay it forward," he said. "There's a lot of us out there."
