Perth Amboy to Join San Diego in Hosting Event Targeted to Homeless Vets
On Sunday, August 12, 2012, the Jewish Renaissance Foundation is Co-Sponsoring a “Homeless Veteran Stand Down Event” that will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Co-sponsors are the G.I. GO Fund and The Eddie and Brenda Trujillo Family Foundation.
Over 100 Homeless Veterans are expected to attend the event. Veterans in attendance will be provided with a broad range of services and necessities including food, clothing, medical and mental health assistance, haircuts, and most importantly, companionship and camaraderie.
Stand Down Events are organized across the country and are an opportunity to reach out to homeless veterans and connect them to veterans benefits, housing and shelter, and other critical services. San Diego recently held its long time annual over the course of 3 days. NPR featured a new story, “A New Generation of Vets Faces Challenges at Home” about the event on August 3, 2012. San Diego organizers still see a number of homeless Vietnam veterans but there are also younger faces from Iraq and Afghanistan. “Organizers say Stand Down aims to clear all the obstacles that could prevent a fresh start.”
The new generation of younger veterans has had trouble finding employment and adjusting to day to day living as civilians.
“’I had my apartment up until 2011,’ says Joshua, a 28-year-old Navy vet, who asked not to give his last name because of the stigma of being homeless. ‘[I] couldn’t keep up with the rent; I did a little couch surfing and then ended up on the street for a while.’”
To register your organization for the August 12 Perth Amboy Stand Down Event, please email Alex Manis or call 973-802-1614.
Click here for a flyer with more details and here for a press release.
Click here for the full NPR news story.
