Capitol DisPatch: 'Stand Down' Event Aims to Help Veterans

If the Connecticut Veterans Home at Rocky Hill gets invaded this Friday it will be a mission accomplished.

On Friday the Department of Veterans Affairs will host Stand Down 2011, an annual event that aims to help any veteran who is homeless or in need of assistance. This year the department expects more than 1,000 veterans to participate.

“We are No. 1 in the nation for veterans attending Stand Down,” said Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Linda Schwartz. “We do a very large outreach and our outreach gets better every year.”

Part of the outreach is to eradicate homelessness among veterans, Schwartz said. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, of the nearly 76,000 homeless veterans, more than 400 are in Connecticut. This means there is much work to be done, she said. And so the one-day event serves to highlight veterans’ needs as well as get their lives back on track.

During the event veterans can get information about various state and federal benefits, employment assistance from numerous veterans organizations and legal advice. Some veterans need help in getting their drivers’ licenses restored so they can apply for a job.

“In 1992, I went and worked at a Stand Down in San Diego. I came back and we started it here in Connecticut,” Schwartz said. “I think the payoff is that you see lives literally transformed in a day. You are watching people leave with a better life.”

“Stand Down is a great way to go to one location and have access to all kinds of information and professionals,” state Sen. Carlo Leone, a Democrat representing Stamford and Darien in the 27th Senate District and co-chair of Veterans Affairs Committee, said.  “It’s one stop shopping for veterans.

During the day veterans can get information about various state and federal benefits, employment assistance from numerous veterans organizations and legal advice. Also, veterans can avail themselves of medical and dental screenings.

Some of the services offered, such as haircuts, may seem mundane, but they are an important part of helping veterans, said state Sen. John A. Kissel, a Republican representing several towns in the 7th Senate District including East Granby and Granby.

“This event can change a veteran’s life,” Kissel said.  “We want this year’s Stand Down to be the best ever, so let’s all work to spread the word about it.”

Kissel asks that if anyone knows a veteran who is homeless, unemployed or has medical concerns, to tell them about the Sept. 9 event.

“Department of Veteran Affairs Commissioner Linda Schwartz and all the volunteers who help with Stand Down deserve a big ‘thank you’ for their tireless work in showing our vets that Connecticut will never forget what they have done for each and every one of us,” Kissel said.

Some of the veterans expected on Friday are just returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Others served during WWII, Korea, Vietnam or the first Gulf War. No matter, organizations such as Homes for the Brave will be on site to assist.

“It gives us an opportunity to showcase our transitional housing program and vocational assistance services that we have to offer. The event allows us to outreach to any veteran that is in need of housing,” said Joy Kiss, CEO of Applied Behavior Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. and Homes for the Brave in Bridgeport.

Homes for the Brave, which has participated in Stand Down for the past several years, has helped more than 600 male veterans.

“We are acutely aware that many people are just one paycheck away from going homeless,” Schwartz said.

Indeed about 1.5 million veterans are at risk of becoming homeless because of poverty and lack of support, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

For younger veterans coming home there is a lot more awareness and general information, but many of these veterans need help with their resumes and interviewing skills. Representatives from the Connecticut Department of Labor will be on hand to help in job searches during the day.

“It gives them a chance to get themselves back on track. And there is more of a sense of urgency now because greater numbers of veterans are coming back from ongoing conflicts,” Leone said.

There will be free transportation for veterans available from pick-up locations around the state, including Bridgeport, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwich, and Stamford. Veterans or their advocates and pre-register or learn more by calling 860-616-3801 or www.ct.gov/ctva. However, preregistration isn’t required to attend.

Leone is working with the American Legion in Stamford to get a bus to transport veterans to the event.

“It is critical for every civilian to understand the responsibility each of us to support our veterans when they complete their service in their return to civilian life,” said Gil Sanborn Gil Sanborn, a Weston resident who formed Weston Supports the Troops. “Stand Down 2011 offers Connecticut residents numerous opportunities to help those veterans in our midst who have stepped up to serve us, including counseling vets in preparing for and pursuing job searches, providing donations to veteran support groups and donating a variety of personal items useful to vets and housing.”