In a coordinated effort to provide critical support to the region’s homeless veterans, the Alameda County Veterans Affairs Commission and St. Vincent de Paul emergency shelter will host a two-day “Stand Down” event this week in Oakland.
The “Stand Down in the Town!” event, scheduled for June 27 and 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul, 2272 San Pablo Ave., is designed as a comprehensive indoor resource fair offering free services to veterans in need.
Among the resources available will be showers, meals, legal assistance, housing placement, health care, employment support, and veterans’ benefits counseling. No individual seeking services will be turned away.
The St. Vincent de Paul site is both close to homeless encampments and directly across from the Oakland VA Clinic, making it easy to reach for those most in need.
“Stand Down,” a term historically used in military contexts to signal a temporary break from combat, has since been adopted to describe events that provide rest and assistance to homeless veterans.
Organizers say the timing and location of this week’s event are especially meaningful as they coincide with PTSD Awareness Month, a significant consideration given the high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and complex PTSD among homeless veterans, stemming both from military service and current living conditions.
Based on the 2024 Alameda County point-in-time report, an estimated 9,450 people are homeless in the county, with 58 percent of those residing in Oakland. Of the 524 homeless individuals who identify as veterans, approximately 330 live in the city.
According to organizers, Stand Down events align with Alameda County’s Vision 2026 goal to eliminate homelessness by providing an opportunity to coordinate and maximize delivery of essential services for a vulnerable population.
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