Dayton VA hosts Stand Down Event for Veterans in Need
The Miami Valley Association of Physicians of Indian Origin sponsored the event, providing 300 backpacks full of the necessary supplies.
ABC22/FOX45 -- The Dayton VA hosted its annual Stand Down for Veterans in the community event on Friday, September 30. The event is for homeless Veterans and Veterans in need, none of which have to be enrolled at the Dayton VA.
"Here we have the in-need Veterans driving through for supplies. There is a backpack with a blanket, some caps, socks, hand warmers, toiletries, and a sleeping bag," said Dr. Alok Agrawal, Kidney Specialist and Physician at the Dayton VA Hospital.
The Miami Valley Association of Physicians of Indian Origin sponsored the event, providing 300 backpacks full of the necessary supplies.
A packet of food was also handed out to all in-need Veterans, that contained enough food for a family of four.
"These started out when we really started focusing on homeless Veterans in the VA, and really the homelessness in our community. This has been one of the ways that we have really focused on it in the VA, as far as taking some time to provide some resources for Veterans to help them, and we've done this for many years in different ways," said Mark Murdock, Dayton VAMC Director.
Murdock says that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dayton VA perfected the drive-in way of handing out supplies.
"During COVID we really learned how to perfect the drive-in scenario to this, so then we were really able to take care of a lot of Veterans in a short amount of time," said Murdock.