Stand Down at the Beach - September 18

AARP South Carolina, Veteran’s Welcome Home and Resource Center, Combat Veterans Association, Military Officers Association of America, and Horry Georgetown Technical College and more than 40 businesses, federal, state, and local resource organizations and service providers today announced plans for the second Stand Down at the Beach. The event geared to helping homeless Veterans and Veterans will be held on Friday, September 18, 2015 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the U.S. Army Reserve, 3392 Phillis Boulevard.

“During last year’s Stand Down event services were provided to more than 200 homeless Veterans and Veterans including food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as housing, employment and substance abuse treatment,” said Doris Gleason, AARP South Carolina director of community outreach.

Organizers are gearing up for a larger turn out of veterans and service providers for the 2015 Stand Down. “There are an unknown number of veterans living on the streets. Our job is to seek them out, get their credentials, and do whatever we can to assist them,” said Kris “Turtle” Tourtellotte, director of the Veterans Welcome Home and Resource Center. “Stand Down is our chance to turn their lives around and return them to main stream society and give them what they need to survive.”

AARP South Carolina, Veteran’s Welcome Home and Resource Center, Combat Veterans Association, Military Officers Association of America, and Horry Georgetown Technical College are the primary sponsors of this year’s event. “The support from the local community has been overwhelming,” said Gleason. The nation’s first Stand Down was organized in 1988 by a group of Vietnam Veterans in San Diego. Since then, Stand Downs have been used as an effective tool in reaching out to homeless Veterans and Veterans, reaching more than 200,000 Veterans and their family members during 1994-2000.

“The primary goal of Stand Down is helping homeless Veterans and Veterans access the resources they need, including housing, to regain their highest level of independence,” said Gleason. “The secondary goal is to bring our community and service providers together in a collaborative effort that can build relationships throughout the year that positively benefit the men and women who protected our freedom.”

How can you help?

ladies undergarments in all sizes (t-shirts, underwear, socks) are needed.

Non-perishable food items

For more: email scaarp@aarp.org