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Operation Stand Down This is to let you know of the wonderful work done by the members of the UAW Region 8 Veterans Committees led by Mark Peterson. For several years, many of the Region 8 Veterans Committees have supported Operation Stand Down, an annual event in Nashville, Tennessee for homeless veterans. This year's 14th Annual Event was no exception with their donations of funds and volunteers! This year's event was held Friday through Sunday, October 13, 14 and 15, 2006 at the National Guard Armory, Nashville. The Event is Nashville's largest cooperative effort providing outreach, information and social services to homeless veterans in the Middle Tennessee area. During the three day event, 297 veterans were provided a wide range of social services. Over 100 local, state and federal organizations come together to provide social services during this event. Over 500 volunteers provided support and services. Many of those volunteers were members of various Veterans Committees all over Region 8. I have included two reports for your review. “Region 8 Veterans Committees contributed over $4,000 to support this event,” states Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel William J. Burleigh, Executive Director of Operation Stand Down. “Our vision is to help the community reestablish ties with its veterans. The support and service of the members of UAW Region 8 Veterans Committees have helped us do just that! We are proud of the commitment of Region 8 Veteran Committee members to those who have served our country.” Of the 297 veterans supported by the effort, eleven were female veterans. The women veterans were taken on a special shopping trip just for them! Those who attended saw first hand the many wonderful services that were provided, the opportunities for change and the grateful attitude of the veterans receiving assistance. It all starts out front with well-coordinated verification support by the VA Regional Office ensuring that only appropriate veterans entered. The weather started out rather chilly on Friday but warmed up nicely over the weekend. Even though it was cold, we had plenty of sleeping bags and blankets for everyone. A few complained but most said they slept great - best sleep they had had in a while. All the usual services were provided and much more! Additional medical services were provided this year with more emphasis on guiding the veterans through the various medical stations to ensure they each received individual care and attention (way to go VA Medical Center!) Several additional judges and lawyers came to provide their assistance. Yes, Judge Brown who has orchestrated Stand Down legal support for 13 years was there also! (He said he came to see how many judges it was going to take to replace him since he heard there were more volunteering for the event this year!) The food as usual was outstanding. Several folks told me they gained several pounds over the weekend. The tremendous amount of support both in terms of donations and financial support assured every need for the event was provided. Well over 100 organizations provided support through donations, financial support and/or volunteer support. 23 social service agencies were on hand to provide guidance in their particular areas of interest and expertise. On Friday and Saturday night, the veterans were entertained by a great bunch of musicians. Each veteran was able to choose the colors and styles they preferred in shirts, pants, sweaters, jackets, etc and went away with all they could carry! They still have lots of clothes and will be giving these away throughout the year through our Service Center. All of the Veteran Service Organizations who have been serving the various meals were there again this year providing outstanding service as they served their meal to the veterans. Some interesting statistics and information from this year's Operation Stand Down event: -The youngest vet was 23.
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