Stand Down for homeless vets is Friday

Stand Down for homeless vets is Friday

When the Heart of America Stand Down started 17 years ago, the focus was on homeless male veterans.

But as the program has developed, Stand Down organizers need more volunteers to help care for the growing number of female veterans who are homeless or on the verge of homelessness.

The fall Stand Down event is set for 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday at Memorial Hall, 600 Seventh St. in Kansas City, Kan.

Organizers said it’s hard to predict how many women will attend Friday. In June 2009 Stand Down served a mere six women. At the June 2010 event 50 female veterans — many of them mothers — turned out for assistance. Although it’s still a small portion of the 931 veterans served in June, organizers believe the number will continue to grow.

“We’re expecting more,” Stand Down coordinator Jennifer Gould said.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau in Kansas City organized an event to offer female veterans services, including health screenings, job search help, clothes and massages.

Friday’s semi-annual Heart of America Stand Down event offers veterans clothes, employment services, haircuts, credit counseling, housing assistance, family counseling and military benefits designed to get them back to self-sufficiency.

Independence is crucial, Stand Down officials believe, given that the Veterans Administration estimates that veterans are one-third of the adult U.S. homeless population.

Gould believes veterans, especially women, hesitate to reach out to others.

“We are the very last to ask for help. We use every resource imaginable before we do. Usually when push comes to shove, if it involves our children, we’ll seek help,” she said.

The change means the non-profit group needs help to serve female veterans specifically. Mentors — be it for personal finance, employment training or family counseling — are especially welcome, Gould said. The group also needs things like clothes, employment groups and more.

The number of veterans, men and women, who are homeless is staggering. This should not be for me who have served our country. It is a shame for our country and should be a mar on our consciences.

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