VA Salt Lake City Health Care System hosts homeless Veteran stand down event
As the winter approaches, many Veterans experiencing homelessness need supplies and resources to stay warm and healthy.
The VA Salt Lake City Health Care System partnered with local community organizations to host a Homeless Veteran Stand Down Event at Sunnyside Park on October 2, providing essential resources and support to Veterans in need.
The event brought together services to help address the immediate needs of Veterans who are homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless.
Attendees were given warm clothes and sleeping bags to help them prepare for the cold winter months ahead. They were also given access to other vital resources including medical care, warm clothing, food, and access to vital programs that promote long-term well.
"This is a way that we can say we know you exist, we are showing up for you," said Meisha Jensen, a coordinator of the event. "We want to get you through these winter months."
Jensen also expressed her gratitude to staff and community partners who helped put on the event.
“Without your help and participation, we would not be able to do what we do,” Jensen said. “I dare say that aren’t many stand downs out there with a catered meal.”
Veterans in attendance expressed gratitude for the resources and the sense of care they experienced at the Stand Down.
“I’m here to get things I need for the Winter,” said JD Shandrew, who served in the Marine Corps and the Army. “I am very grateful for what’s been provided today.”
The Homeless Veteran Stand Down is part of VA’s larger commitment to ending Veteran homelessness and ensuring that every Veteran has access to the support they need.
“Veterans are the mission,” said Dr. Angela Williams, executive director of the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. “We want to make sure that we are meeting them where they are and giving them the care they deserve.”
If you or someone you know is a Veteran who is homeless, have them reach out to our homeless outreach team at 801-582-1565 ex 2746. Veterans who would like an assessment with the homeless outreach team should contact their primary care provider and ask them to submit a homeless consult.