The annual Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down was hosted at the Washington, DC VA Medical Center. The day-long event brought together VA employees, volunteers, and community partners to offer immediate assistance, services, and resources to unsheltered and at-risk Veterans throughout the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, and areas of Maryland. Gold Star Mothers Janice Chance and Paula Davis volunteered and handed out coffee, tea, breakfast sandwiches, and donuts to the Veterans who stood in line waiting to go inside the event. They also helped serve lunch to the Veterans.
DC VA Medical Center Social Workers and Peer Support Teams work with local shelters as well as traveling to local neighborhoods, identifying Veterans to pair with VA health care, benefits, and services, and local resources. The event demonstrates VA’s commitment to “Partner to End and Prevent Homelessness, One Veteran at a Time.” 30 participating federal, state, and local agencies and community organizations offered services. It was wonderful to see all the smiles on the Veterans’ faces as they went from tent to tent, receiving coats, boots, socks, personal care kits, and other items. We look forward to volunteering in the future.
