Veterans center looking for local donations

Organizers of an annual event for homeless veterans are turning to the community for help after federal funding dried up.

For the past 14 years, the Clark County Veterans Assistance Center has hosted Stand Down. The free resource fair connects veterans and their families with housing assistance, haircuts, veterinary services, job opportunities and clothing.

The event’s name stems from the military term “stand down,” which means to relax after being alert or on duty.

Although Stand Down is run entirely by volunteers, the one-day event in September costs as much as $50,000 each year, said Judy Russel, president of the Clark County Veterans Assistance Center. To cover the bill, the center applies each year for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Stand Down grant, with community donations and the Clark County Veterans Assistance Fund covering the remainder.

Despite applying well in advance for the federal grant, Russel received a call from a Department of Labor representative who said that although the veterans assistance center was approved for the grant, there was no more funding to give.

The department awards the Stand Down grants on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to the availability of funding through the end of the fiscal year, said Erika Ruthman, a spokeswoman for the department. Although the Clark County Veterans Assistance Center’s application is under review, the department has already “obligated all Stand Down funding” for the fiscal year 2025, she said.

So now the center is seeking local donations to fill the gap.

“Veterans are so deserving, and they’ve earned everything that we can do for them. So we will figure out a way to do this,” Russel said.

Although veteran homelessness has been on the decline over the past couple of years, the need is still great, according to data from Vancouver nonprofit Council for the Homeless.

Last year’s Stand Down event helped 500 people, Russel said.

“It’s important for people to know how valued this event is to the veterans and their families,” Russel said. “It’s a day they look forward to. A place they can come for a hot meal, see a doctor or dentist and get taken care of. It’s incredibly important.”

Mia Ryder-Marks; 360-735-4547; [email protected]

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