Donors & Volunteers: We are Gearing Up for the 2026 Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down, November 7, 2026
By Gloria Hairston, Director of Public Affairs
The Washington DC VA Medical Center Team is Partnering to End Homelessness Among Veterans in the DC Area.
The Washington DC VA Medical Center (DCVAMC) will host its annual Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., inside the medical center, located at 50 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20422.
Brief Overview
Under the theme "Partnering to End Homelessness One Veteran at a Time," this year's Stand Down brings together 35 participating federal, state and local agencies and community organizations to provide Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness with a day-long, one-stop connection to VA health care, benefits and claims assistance, housing counseling, legal aid, and essential wraparound services to end and avert homelessness. The local event provides care, services and resource support to Veterans who are unsheltered and at-risk for homelessness within the District of Columbia; areas of Maryland to include Prince George’s, Montgomery, St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Charles Counties; and Northern Virginia.
The stand down event demonstrates VA’s commitment to end and prevent homelessness, one Veteran at a time. The Department of Veterans Affairs is focused on ending homelessness and continues to provide local services for impacted Veterans at the VA Community Resource and Referral Center, 1500 Franklin Street, NE, Washington, DC,
Donors, Volunteers & Partners are Vital
Through local and national partnerships, donations, and volunteerism, the VA homeless Veterans outreach event is a one-stop resource which specifically offers health care assessments, preventative care screening, immunizations, VA benefits and claims assistance, housing and unemployment counseling, legal aid, IRS tax support, social services, coats, shoes and boots, personal care kits, a warm meal and much more.
If you are part of an organization within the DC metropolitan area and have a philanthropic interest in joining our DC VAMC mission of providing safe, quality care to all Veterans, we welcome your partnership. To determine eligibility as a resource vendor or volunteer, complete the following relevant applications, using one of the following links, and email Ryan.Hinely@va.gov: Vendor Application Volunteer Application
To make a monetary or in-kind donation to the annual Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down or any other program of interest such as Women’s Health or the Veterans Freedom Garden Project, please contact our local DC VAMC Center for Development and Civic Engagement, formerly Voluntary Service, by calling
Your support is truly appreciated and by coming together we can provide a hand-up, not a handout to Veterans in transition.
Specific Wrap Around Services and Support Offered
- VA Enrollment & Health Eligibility
- Health Screenings, Wellness Checks & Mental Health Services
- Veterans Benefits Administration Claims Assistance
- Legal Aid/IRS Tax Filing/Social Security Administration
- Housing, Employment & Education Resources
- National Cemetery Administration Burial and Memorial Benefits
- Veterans Service Organizations
- VA Vet Centers for Veterans and Families/Chaplain Service
- Boots & Warm Clothing Distribution (New items only.)
- Food Pantry
- Hair/Barber Services