News - Military

Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Homeless veterans get a helping hand

Homeless veterans from all over South Mississippi visited the Mississippi Coast Coliseum on Wednesday to receive services from Veterans Affairs.

Billed as “Veterans Stand Down,” the one-day event is part of the VA’s efforts to provide for homeless vets.

Leigh Ann Johnson, the mental health recovery coordinator for the VA, said the event originally began on the Coast before Hurricane Katrina, but this year’s event was one of the best ever.

“Everybody from the VA that came out all said that it worked so much better there with all the community partners and having it on the Coliseum grounds,” Johnson said, noting that the Red Cross and Coliseum staff were great helps.

A new feature this year had Seabees from the Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport and airmen from Keesler Air Force Base act as escorts for each veteran to make sure they made it through the process.

Services such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings and benefits counseling, as well as referrals for services such as employment, housing and substance abuse, are available for the veterans who attend.

The Stand Downs are coordinated between local VAs, government agencies and community agencies and have been offered since the first was organized in 1988 by veterans in San Diego.

Prior to this year, the Stand Downs were held at the VA.

Officials with the Stand Down said the event achieved their goals of providing physical and emotional support, ensuring veterans have access to VA services and health care and bringing awareness to South Mississippi and community agencies that there is a large homeless veterans population here.