Stand Down 2022 with San Juan College
The San Juan College Veteran Center, in coordination with the San Juan College Foundation, New Mexico Department of Veterans Services and the San Juan County Veterans Collaborative, presented the Stand Down 2022 on October 14.
Support services at the event included health screenings, housing and shelter assistance, job assistance and mental health services. Veterans also received referrals for healthcare, housing solutions, employment and veteran’s benefits.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Over the course of a year, approximately twice that many experience homelessness. Only eight percent of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly one-fifth of the homeless population
are veterans.
The concept of Stand Down, as related specifically to the homeless veteran crisis, was the brainchild of two Vietnam Veterans, Robert Van Keuren and Dr. Jon Nachison, with the support of Vietnam Veterans of San Diego. The first Stand Down was held in San Diego during the summer of 1988. Now, hundreds of Stand Down events take place across the country every year.
