VSC stands up for homeless vets at 5th annual Stand Down.

A staggering 17 percent of Ohio’s sheltered and homeless population is made  up by veterans, according to a 2009 report from the Coalition on  Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, an organization pushing to end  homelessness and promote affordable housing. The VSC of Summit County seeks to bring vital care and community resources to Akron-area homeless veterans during the 5th Annual Akron Stand Down on Tuesday, Sept. 14.

Stand Downs are community based intervention programs designed to help homeless veterans survive life on the streets. At Stand Downs, veterans  receive food, clothing, medical and mental health assistance, job counseling  and an opportunity to meet and bond with other veterans. Stand Downs are  held across the country and are recognized as the most valuable outreach  tool to help homeless veterans in America.

VSC of Summit County will help support the Summit County Veterans Council in their efforts to organize and facilitate the local Stand Down. Provider organizations will be on hand to give the free care which hundreds of homeless veterans need. Homeless veterans are also receiving help on the national level from the VA and the Obama administration. At November’s “VA National Summit Ending Homelessness among Veterans,” Secretary of Veteran Affairs Eric K. Shinseki revealed the department’s five-year plan to  end veteran homelessness.