3-Day Event to Aid Homeless Veterans
More than 100 homeless veterans are expected to descend on Ventura College today for the opening day of Stand Down 1996, a three-day relief effort offering free medical care, legal help and other social services to the down and out.
The fourth annual Stand Down--a military term used when a unit is shifted from a combat situation to one of safety and security--kicks off at 8 a.m at the college football field.
The event is designed to help homeless veterans get back on their feet by providing them with a range of government services.
While the program has been held around the country since the late 1980s, it made its Ventura County debut in 1993.
Last year, about 120 veterans from throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties received help at the event. This year, organizers are equipped to house 350 veterans in a mini tent city erected on the football field.
The vets will be bused from 17 locations throughout the three counties, and they will receive three meals each day, free haircuts and have access to a variety of other services.
The event will continue Saturday and Sunday at the college, 4667 Telegraph Road. For more information, call 654-6459.
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