For the sixth year, North County Veterans Stand Down, (NCVSD), brings resources to Green Oaks Ranch in Vista.
NCVSD is a four-day event in Vista that connects veterans, their families and pets to free services from Thursday until Sunday.
“We help homeless and all veterans with any help they need," said Matt Foster, the president of NCVSD. "VA benefits... disability benefits. We have medical, dental, vision and a lot of legal care including homeless court... We have free clothing and counseling, it's a myriad of services we provide.”
Foster says the resources can help Veterans resolve problems holding them back. “There's a lot of veterans that can't get a job because they have a warrant, or they have a ticket - they can't get a driver's license. At this event we can actually clear those charges. We can clear warrants.”
Foster says many of the veterans that attend the event are experiencing homelessness or are close to being homeless.
The facility has 250 beds available for Veterans and their families that need overnight accommodations.
Free clothes, food, medical exams, and legal aid are some of the services available until Sunday.
Free transportation can be requested.
Pets are welcome and grooming and veterinary services are available on site.
But Foster organizes this for more that just resources.
“Good camaraderie," he says. "I have a lot of veterans that don't hang out with other veterans. They’re antisocial and they come here and they realize, ‘Hey, this could be alright. I can meet with people who are like me and not be so alone.'"
The four-day event happens every year. Foster says they are always in need of more donations and volunteers.
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Imperial Beach residents will welcome a new mayor to city hall in January, as Mayor Serge Dedina returns to his environmental activism roots. In other news, Veterans needing resources can find them all in one place in Vista this weekend. Plus, we have some weekend arts events worth checking out. -
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