PORT TOWNSEND — Local veterans in need of food, clothing, shelter and support services got a hand up at a “stand down” event at the Elks Club on Monday.
The event was sponsored by Voices for Veterans, which has been sponsoring stand downs on the Olympic Peninsula since 2004.
“We began this after learning that 25 percent of the people in the yearly homeless count identified themselves as veterans,” John Braasch, the organization’s president, said.
“We wanted to see what we could do, but it’s like eating an elephant: You can’t eat it all at once, but you can eat a little bit at a time.”
A stand down is a military term meaning a cessation in offensive actions and a break from hostilities, the Voices for Veterans brochure said.
The “hostilities” in this case can come from not having a job, a home, means to get around or proper clothing.
At the stand down, veterans have access to legal aid, medical screening, housing resources and a barber shop.
There is also a “store” full of new and used clothing.
The used clothes comes in through donations, and the new clothes are purchased from local merchants at a discount, Braasch said.
“Costco gives us a really super deal, and we couldn’t do this without Swain’s Outdoor,” he said.
Braasch said about 100 veterans take advantage of each stand down, which takes place in Jefferson County three times a year, with events also taking place in Port Angeles and Forks.
Being homeless is not a requirement, Braasch said, and many veterans attend to get supplies and advice.
“A lot of vets may have PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder] or other mental issues, and they don’t feel comfortable running around to a lot of places to get what they need,” he said.
“We run this place like a living room, providing a place where everyone feels welcome.”
Braasch compares leaving the military to falling out of a tree.
“Some of us landed on our head, and some of us landed on our feet. It’s up to those who landed on their feet to help those who landed on their head.”
While many male veterans need the help, it can be harder for women, according to Penni Howton of Quilcene.
“Some gals come back home, and their family is gone and they have no place to go,” Howton said.
“The men can get a job, but it’s harder for the women who are told they can just get married again.
“But that’s not the case; their options are more limited.”
The stand down provides more than supplies.
“Some of the guys come in and look like they’ve been dragged through a knothole backwards,” Braasch said.
“They come in here and get a haircut, get some new clothes and they walk out with a spring in their step.”
For more information or to contribute, email voicesforveteranss@yahoo.com or visit www.voicesforveterans.org.
The next stand down is scheduled for Oct. 4 at the Clallam County Fairgrounds in Port Angeles.
Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
