Veterans Stand Down set for April 19 and 20

Posted On: April 1, 2024

Veterans can get free haircuts and learn about benefits during a Veterans Stand Down from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19 and 20 at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, 3150 E. New York Ave., DeLand. The annual event is sponsored by Volusia County’s Veterans Services Division.

Veterans and their families can also talk to representatives from multiple agencies about career and education resources, homeless veterans resources, veterans benefits, and health care information.

Free lunch will be provided by Bull & Boar BBQ Supply Co. on Friday and State Sen. Tom Wright on Saturday. Boxes of food will be provided by Farm Share, a nonprofit food bank.

Additional services will include:

• As part of Volusia County’s “Hiring our Heroes” initiative, Human Resources staff will be on hand to share information about job openings with the County.
• The Florida Department of Health will provide Moderna and Jynneos vaccines, blood pressure checks, and Narcan kits.
• Claims processors from the Veterans Administration Regional Office in St. Petersburg will help veterans who are having issues with pending claims.

Stand downs for homeless veterans are modeled after the stand down concept used during the Vietnam War to provide a safe retreat for units returning from combat. At a secure base camp, troops were able to take care of personal hygiene, get clean uniforms, enjoy warm meals, receive medical and dental care, mail and receive letters, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment. 

In addition to Volusia County Veterans Services, participating agencies are the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County, VITAS Healthcare, CareerSource Flagler Volusia, Supporting Services for Veterans Families, Daytona State College, and the Daytona Beach Vets Center.

For more information, call Scott Olson at 386-740-5102. Learn about Volusia County Veterans Services at https://www.volusia.org/veterans.