Saturday
September 18, 2010
0700 to 1500 at the Richards Street Armory

All Calls & Emails
Days - 414-288-5500
262-681-0237 after 5:00
kathleen.hawkins@marquette.edu

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Meeting Date
September 7, 2010
3:00 pm at the National Guard Armory

Wisconsin Veterans Stand Down, Inc.
Meeting Agenda

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 3:00 pm at the National Guard Armory
 

Treasurer’s Report: (Renee Krueger) – Donation has come in.

Insurance: Through CVI – Should be good to go.  Have dates for next event.

Security/Amnesty: Security – Sheriff’s Dept. hopefully will have someone there
Marquette Army ROTC will provide help with setup, take down and security
   Amnesty – Mike Malloy coordinates

Barbers: MATC - Annie Royal has retired but we should have barbers present –
Need to know who the new contact is for this -  do not have a name and I did not make a contact.

Dental: Dr. Santilli will do dental exams with Guadalupe and MATC as providers.

 Will have copies of vouchers at meeting.

Optical: VAMC will do screening for glasses vouchered via Quality Optical and reading glasses.

ID Cards: Debbie/Mike Sohns handle ID cards

Transportation: Hopefully DAV will have vans and drivers along with VPC who provides other vans and shot gun riders.
These are out many of our vets make it to Stand Down and transportation cooperation is very important.

Job Service: Stan Kogutkiewicz coordinates.

Food Service: VFW (Fiddler Post) provides excellent breakfast (via vouchers for clients).
The American Legion Post 448 with Prime Minister provides lunch.
Steaks will be available for this event so need to plan on the cooking and everything to do that.
Will do vouchers for lunch so we make sure everyone gets 1 meal before any others are given out.  AL Grant ???

Bag lunches will be provided by Miller Coors.

The light cold breakfast for volunteers in the side room worked out well.
Many volunteers mentioned they also appreciated the lighter lunches available.  Will probably continue – at least the breakfast.

Toiletries: Kits were made up at the event.  We have enough for the Sept. event but need to continue collecting because we never know what will come in.
Received items from Eagle Scout with his collection – an inventory is provided.

Intake: Double line intake process works well.  Jan Jacobs  coordinated.
We had a table set up at the end to distribute the bag lunches, towels and water near the intake area and that seemed to work well.
We will  close off the steep stairs to the dining room and set up another table for the bag lunches, towels and water and for the
clients to hand in folders and get these items – seems that the vets are not handing in folders or getting what we have for them.

Legal Assistance: Jesse Torres coordinates.  Judges Chavez should present along with Justice 2000.
We will change part of the access and location to the legal portion of Stand Down depending on who is coming.

Set-Up/Tear Down: Bob Hawkins with the help of Army ROTC sets up the armory Friday in the am and they also did the tear-down of Armory, Saturday.
Will also have some help from GE Medical Systems (also collecting items)

 Some of our white tables (property of Stand Down) disappeared and we need to find out where they are.
We were short for the event and we will have the same issue at future events.  We have gotten a stencil so we can get our information on our tables.
Need to have spray paint at the event and someone can work to get the wording stenciled on.

 We will have a little more floor space – VVA is not going to have tables .

 Hopefully, there will be enough tables for the event and that our missing tables will be found.  We normally use every last table available.

Volunteers: Bob & Kathy Hawkins coordinate.  We need to make sure everyone signs in.  We have a name to receive our award.
We do get calls from past volunteers that have offered to help.  We did send some people home that wanted to volunteers but we
had absolutely no place for them to help.
ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST BE IDENTIFIED IN ADVANCE.

 We also need to make sure security checks everyone – either they are a client or a volunteer and need to be identified as such –
there were people walking around without any registration identified.  We have lanyards for volunteers and need the name badges for clients (or wrist bands).

 Has the plaque been ordered for the Founder’s Award?

Clothing: Voucher system for clothing (via Job Service) works well.
VPC runs clothing room.  Lands’ End provides quality clothing and need to verify that we will get clothing this event..

Service Providers: The Medical College will be set up next to the VA.
We need to make sure we always direct non VA eligible veterans or their family over to the Medical College.

 Sheets with guidelines were on the tables and mentioned there are liability issues when they bring their children (we are not insured for those under 18).
No client or volunteers should have their children present.

 There should be some returning/new vendors present.

Medical: (Charles Wallace) – Medical on drill floor.

WDVA: Works with Milwaukee CVS Office assistant vets with claims and paperwork for benefits.

Next Stand Down: Coming up soon - September 18, 2010.  We can see about setting about 2011 if possible, esp. the February event.
 Next meeting:  October 5, 2010.  ???

Web Site: http://www.war-veterans.org/Stddwn.htm

Pictures from event on:      http://www.veteransmediaservices.50webs.com/

Minutes
September 7, 2010
 
 
 
 

The Fall Veterans Stand Down is September 18, 2010

Marquette Tribune Picture

THANK YOU
Thank you to everyone that helped make this Stand Down a success.
We are especially grateful to those that stayed late to help with cleanup and those that helped with set up and transportation.

We won’t have the official totals for a bit but we did see approximately 190 veterans go through and receive our services.
This is our second largest amount of veterans.  We ran out of a few things and got very low on others but we made everything stretch.
 

2010 Spring Stand Down

Veterans Helping Veterans

Media Release         For more information contact:
Film Opportunity 10 to 11 am          Greg Jacobs:  (414) 902-5729
Meeting the Needs of Newly Returning
Iraq and Other Veterans

Stand Down for Homeless Veterans
Saturday September 18, 2010     7 am – 3 pm
Richard’s Street Armory    4108 N. Richards

As in previous wars, newly returning Iraq veterans have served well in under the most dangerous situations leaving them
with battle related issues beyond physical injury and disability such as Post Traumatic Stress and other psychological disorders.
Their service may have fostered other issues such as self-medication, alcohol and drugs, relationship and family problems.
Returning home, possibly facing unemployment, especially with non-transferable job skills, and these other barriers -
that veteran may be living homeless in Milwaukee.
Stand Down is a military term for soldiers resting from battle, Saturday homeless veterans will be brought from the streets of Milwaukee
County to begin recuperation through a wide variety of services provided by the Wisconsin Stand Down Committee: emergency housing,
medical, dental, optical, psycho-social, post traumatic stress, legal, employment and training, alcohol and drug treatment, clothing, toiletries,
barbering, federal, state, county and community based veteran specific services, great breakfast served by the Veterans of Foreign Wars
who are being honored for their many years of service to homeless veterans, and a hot and nutritious lunch provided by the American Legion & Auxiliary
Stand Down’s theme is “Veterans Helping Veterans.” Volunteers from these organizations
will be helping provide a “Hand Up-Not A Hand Out”:
WI UAW Veterans, Amer. Legion & Auxiliary, Alcoholics Anonymous, AMVETS & Auxiliary, Amer. Liver Foundation, Center for
Veterans Issues, Veterans of Foreign Wars & Auxiliary, Disabled Amer. Veterans & Auxiliary, US Army Reserve, WI National Guard,
Milw. Area Technical College, UWM-Vets Upward Bound, Catholic War Veterans, Milw. Health Department, Milw. Municipal Court,
Milw. NCO Council, Milw. Vet Center, Vets Place Central, Nat. Assoc. for Black Veterans, Social Security, VA Domiciliary,
VA Medical Center, VA Regional Office, WI Indian Veterans Assoc.-Oneida Chapter, Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club,
Vietnam Veterans of America, WI Dept. of Veterans Affairs, WI Job Service, Milw. County Veterans Service Office,
WI Vietnam Veterans Inc., Military Order of the Purple Heart, Jewish War Veterans, Milw. County War Memorial Board,
Lands End, Internal Revenue Service, Marine Corp League of Wisconsin, the Ride to the
Wall Foundation, Paul Revere & the Raiders and Citizen Volunteers.

DO YOU KNOW A HOMELESS OR "AT RISK" VETERAN?
WISCONSIN VETERANS
Stand Down Rally
Wisconsin National Guard Armory
       Where?    4108 North Richards Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
Saturday September 18, 2010
7:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Veterans Helping Veterans
A Hand Up - Not A Hand Out

-Federal and State Veterans Information-
-Drug and Alcohol Treatment Information-
-Employment Information-

Together Then - Together Now

For more information contact:
WI Stand Down Voice Mail (Greg Jacobs):  902-5729
Milwaukee County Veterans Service Office: 382-1727
Vet's Place Central: 342-5000
Wisconsin Dept. of Veteran Affairs  (Fernando Rodriguez): 382-1756
Veterans Job Service Representatives:
Milwaukee Northside: (Stan Kogutkiewicz)  267-3233
Milwaukee Southside:  (Greg Williams)  389-6293
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Veterans Pick-up Points
Milwaukee Public Library- 10th & Wisconsin Avenue
 -South11th/Mitchell-South16th/National
 -Teutonia & Capitol- Burleigh & 27th Street- Atkinson & Capitol- North Ave & FonDuLac-
North Ave & Martin Luther King Dr-
Silver Spring & Green Bay Rd- Burleigh & 24th Street(Moody Park)
Pick-up Only from 7:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.

“Veterans Helping Veterans.”
Volunteers from these organizations will be
helping provide a “Hand Up-Not A Hand Out”:
WI UAW Veterans, Amer. Legion & Auxiliary, Alcoholics Anonymous, AMVETS & Auxiliary, Amer. Liver Foundation,
Center for Veterans Issues, Veterans of Foreign Wars & Auxiliary, Disabled Amer. Veterans & Auxiliary, US Army
Reserve, WI National Guard, Milw. Area Technical College, UWM-Vets Upward Bound, Catholic War Veterans, Milw.
Health Department, Milw. Municipal Court,Milw. NCO Council, Milw. Vet Center, Vets Place Central, Nat. Assoc. for
Black Veterans, Social Security, VA Domiciliary, VA Medical Center, VA Regional Office, WI Indian Veterans Assoc.-
Oneida Chapter, Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club, Vietnam Veterans of America, WI Dept. of Veterans Affairs, WI Job
Service, Milw. County Veterans Service Office, WI Vietnam Veterans Inc., Military Order of the Purple Heart, Jewish
War Veterans, Milw. County War Memorial Board, Lands End, Internal Revenue Service, Marine Corp League of
Wisconsin, the Ride to the Wall Foundation, Paul Revere & the Raiders and Citizen Volunteers.

Wisconsin Veterans Stand Down, Inc.

STAND DOWN WISH LIST

All must be new items

Monetary Donations

Personal Care Item (regular size)
Shampoo
Deodorant
Soap
Shave Cream
Shave Powder
Toothpaste
Small Kleenex packages
Disposable Razors
Combs
Toothbrushes
Wash Clothes

Please remember, the majority of veterans we see are of the male gender

Undergarments (male)
(Sizes needed Medium to 4X)
T shirts
Briefs
Socks (regular and big men’s size)
 

Cold Weather Gear
Hats
Gloves
Scarves
(Can be hand made or store bought)
 

Milwaukee Stand Down
Official Web Site:
http://www.war-veterans.org/Stddwn.htm

Wisconsin Veterans Stand Down, Inc.
Post Office Box 170307
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53217-8026

Dear Comrades and Friends;
     It's that time again, as you can see by the flyer enclosed it is once again time for our semi-annual
"Stand Down" here in Milwaukee.  I promised that I would notify you of the event-- consider yourself notified.
 

     We have experienced many successful recoveries from the plight of homelessness as a result of services
obtained at "Stand Down" such as legal services provided by the volunteer lawyers of the Justice Department,
or the Municipal Court Judge who donates his time and services in the form of granting amnesty to individuals
with issues like traffic and civil violations allowing these veterans to return to society.  It was reported that do
to the services provided by an IRS agent this past February as much as $40,000 was saved and refunded to
veterans that would have not known they had money coming.  Combined with other services offered through
"Stand Down" these veterans re-establish themselves in the work force and once again provide for themselves
and their families in much the same manner as you and I often take for granted.
 

     Thank you in advance for your interest and involvement in this program of service to our less-fortunate
comrades in their time of need.  Wisconsin Stand Down, Inc. is a non-profit organization registered in the state
with no paid staff.  All the staff and service providers at 'Stand Down" are volunteers so any and all tax-deductible
contributions go directly to the veteran in need, and when combined with the services and supplies that are donated
provide maximum service at minimum costs.  If you can provide a service that would be needed at "Stand Down"
and would like to participate as a volunteer, or would like to attend the "Stand Down" as an "observer" let us know.
If you are unable to attend but would like to financially contribute to this cause your donations will be greatly
appreciated and put to good use to purchase some of the items we do not get donated such as eyeglasses,
dental work, toiletry articles and bus tickets etc.

Thank you again for showing that you indeed do:

"Care Enough to Make a Difference!"

Sincerely yours in appreciation;

Greg Jacobs, President

Wisconsin Veterans Stand Down, Inc.

Weekday phone: (414) 902-5729

Evenings/Weekends: (414) 527-1271

Fax: (414) 902-5403
 

Wisconsin Veterans Stand Down, Inc.
Post Office box 170307
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53217-0307

What is a “Stand Down”?

     Many of our friends and comrades have been asking this question in the Milwaukee area in recent years
so we will try to shed some light on the most recent application of the term.
     During a “Stand Down” soldiers are removed from the field of combat for rest and recreation.  Homeless and at-risk
veterans in this country are not unlike soldiers in combat, living in the field (streets), surviving by their wits with limited
rations and enduring very unfavorable living conditions.  Every day they must continue to do battle.  Their adversaries
are lack of housing, unemployment, physical and emotional hardships and hopelessness.
     Today’s version of a “Stand Down” is designed and intended to bring a wide array of pre-existing specialized resources
together at one location and to provide a comprehensive therapeutic program to homeless and at-risk veterans that integrates
employment, housing, medical, legal and a broad range of social services.
     Studies have concluded that veterans appear to be at-risk of homelessness for much the same reasons as other Americans.
 Socioeconomic structural factors have largely been responsible for the increased numbers of homeless people.
Personal vulnerabilities such as poverty and mental illness have influenced the type of individual that becomes at risk
of homelessness. These studies also estimate that as many as 40% of the homeless men in America are combat trained veterans.

  The current “Stand Down” concept has six basic goals:

1.   To provide a “hand-up”, not a “hand-out” for immediate relief from the trauma and stress of homelessness.
2.   To provide access to services and assistance in the area of employment, clothing, matters of hygiene, medical/dental exams etc.
3.   To provide access to longer term solutions like Department of Veteran Affairs benefits, employment
opportunities, medical /legal assistance and other social services.
4.   To build and maintain strong long-term interagency and community working relationships.
5.   To continue to raise community and state awareness of the plight of the homeless and at-risk veterans to develop long term solutions.
6.   To encourage and aid in the replication of this program in our community and other cities across the state.

     Now that you have a better idea of the current application of the term “Stand Down” we are hoping that you
will join us in educating the public and help lessen, if not eliminate the plague
that is infecting veterans and their families in our community.

Wisconsin Veterans Stand Down Inc.
Post Office box 170307
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53217-0307

Dear Friends and Comrades:
     On behalf of the Wisconsin Veterans Stand Down committee we are seeking your financial support for the
funding of our on-going services to homeless and at risk veterans in our area.  At our two Stand Down’s held in 2008
we helped to provide aid and comfort to over 300 veterans in the Milwaukee area.  This was just a small segment of
the homeless veteran population in our city; there is a much larger population of veterans that are at risk of becoming
homeless if something is not done now.  Our last “Stand Down” was held on September 20, 2008  at the Richards Street
National Guard Armory 4108 North Richards Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  At this Stand Down we served over 120
needy veterans and their families, providing various services including providing eyeglasses and dental services for
homeless or at-risk veterans.  In addition to the aforementioned services we fed over 300 participants and volunteers
through the generous donations given to our program by concerned individuals and organizations like you throughout the state.
     We are currently in the planning stage for our next Stand Down to be held February 28, 2009 once again at the
Richards Street National Guard Armory in Milwaukee.  We are still in need of financial assistance so that we can provide
hot and nutritious meals, toilet articles, eye exams, glasses, much needed dental work, work boots and other items such
as bus passes to get to job interviews etc.  It is our hope that you, your organizations, members and friends
will be able to help us in this important endeavor.
     We are deeply grateful for whatever assistance you can provide.  If you have any questions
please feel free to call me for further details.
Sincerely Yours in Comradeship;

Greg Jacobs, President
Weekday phone: (414) 902-5729
Evenings/Weekends: (414) 902-5403
E-MAIL Address:
 jacobg@dwd.state.wi.us  (or) gjacobs3@wi.rr.com
 

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