Battle Creek VA participates in Veteran Stand Down

Battle Creek VA participated in a Veteran Stand Down at the Kent County Veterans Services location Sept. 7, 2023, providing assistance to nearly 165 Veterans in the region.

The Stand Down began in times of war, where exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety. Once there, they were able to take care of personal hygiene, get clean uniforms, enjoy warm meals and receive medical and dental care.

Current Veteran Stand Downs are typically one- to three-day events during which VA staff and volunteers provide food, clothing and health screenings to homeless and at-risk Veterans. This recent Stand Down also brought out Social Work Services, Health Promotion & Disease Prevention and VA enrollment representatives from Battle Creek Health Administration.

“The mission of VA would not be successful without the support of our community partners, especially the homeless program. VA can be a difficult system to navigate at times, but with the Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration and community resources engaged in the community, that helps bridge a gap for our Veterans,” said Stephen Dotts, assistant director, Battle Creek VA.

Stand Downs provide Veterans information on VA services

During the event, Veterans received referrals for health care, housing solutions, employment information, substance use treatment resources, mental health counseling options and other essential services.

“I feel that many Veterans don’t always know what is available to them,” said Reginald Farrior, county Veterans service officer for Kent County, Michigan. “It takes events like Stand Downs to build the Veterans’ confidence, addressing misinformation, providing education and building rapport.”

Many of the Veterans who attended the stand down received duffel bags filled with donated goods, such as clothing, boots, basic hygiene materials and various comfort items. Community partners and non-Veteran agencies along with various Veteran programs came together to collect and package these items for local Veterans.

“I think today’s event was very successful and we owe much of that to the community partners, state and federal resources, numerous service officers and the Kent County Veteran Services who helped organize the event,” said Dotts.

Nationally, Veteran homelessness is down an estimated 11% from 2020 and more than 55% since 2010, according to the 2022 Point-in-Time Count by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.