The third annual Four Corners Veterans Stand Down in Durango will be held Thursday to get veterans the help they need, whether that’s assistance signing up for benefits or a point in the right direction for employment.
Service men and women will have access to hot meals, clothing, showers and haircuts, and assistance with enrolling in programs for housing, counseling and medical and dental care with help from regional agencies and organizations.
“I emphasize that all veterans are welcome, regardless of their standard of living, to get a lift from whatever they’re going through,” said Peggy Schroder, event coordinator. “It’s amazing how generous the people in the community are. When you go by and ask for donations, they say ‘anything for the vets.’ And that’s a good feeling.”
“Stand downs,” derived from the military term for a serviceman’s time spent recouping after combat, have been hosted annually throughout the country since 1988, when the Vietnam Veterans of San Diego organized a day of service and assistance for homeless, low-income and/or at-risk veterans.
Four Corners Veterans Stand Down supports veterans in Archuleta, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan counties. Its events are held with help from the La Plata County Veterans Service Office, Southwest Colorado Workforce Center, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031 and American Legion Post 28.
Last year, about 125 attended.
The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.
Schroder said volunteers are needed for various tasks, including drivers to provide rides for veterans, and people who can help at the event.
For more information about the event or transportation, contact Schroder at 247-8589 or Janna Schaefer at 749-1673, or email them at standdowndurango@gmail.com.