Veterans’ Stand Out - Tuesday Nov 10

Village for Vets is the co-chair of the first-ever Stand Out - a COVID-safe version of the annual Stand Down event that in past years has brought up to a thousand veterans and their families together with community organizations for services, supplies, and social connection.  This year the Stand Out will engage the most treatment-resistant veterans where they live, with outreach teams of VA social workers visiting homeless encampments.

This is the fifth year Village for Vets has co-chaired the Stand Down/Stand Out, providing leadership and partnership to make the event a success, from registration and logistics to coordinating services and volunteers. 

Village for Vets, in partnership with Brentwood School, will also provide the outreach teams with meals and “Field Packs” - backpacks filled with supplies including socks, personal hygiene kits, phones, blankets and rain ponchos - to distribute to homeless vets in need.

The Stand Out event will operate from two Command Centers where VA staff and community volunteers will coordinate the days’ service delivery and outreach team support. Each outreach team will include representatives able to provide housing, employment, legal, and medical services - including mobile COVID and TB tests, flu vaccinations and more. The Stand Out will also deliver services virtually, with doctors, lawyers, and benefits specialists on call and available via video for Outreach Teams to reach from the field. Some services, like eye and dental exams and treatment, will be provided at the Command Centers. 

Angelenos can support the Stand Out and ongoing support services for homeless and at-risk veterans with contributions to Village for Vets at VillageforVets.org/donate. 

Additional information:

• Village for Vets will be piloting a new program at the Stand Out, the Veterans Street Academy. For the pilot, field teams will call upon the programs benefits to reinforce veteran engagement.  Sleeping bag coats and pair of new Adidas with socks will be available to Vets who sign up.

• FIeld teams are comprised of VASH housing specialists (able to provide housing vouchers), an RN for onsite medical evaluations, an employment specialist, and a VA social worker.

• Other community organizations, including PATH, Salvation Amy, and Volunteers of America, will have representatives available to engage veterans ineligible for VA housing  benefits.