Southern Oregon Stand Down 2010

The 19th annual ‘Southern Oregon Stand Down’ (SOSD) for veterans in need will be held September 17, 18, and 19, 2010 V.A. Roseburg Healthcare System in the Fir Grove area at 913 NW Garden Valley Blvd. Roseburg,Oregon.

 ‘Stand Down’ is a military term for a time of rest and recovery for exhausted combat units. Today ‘Stand Down’ refers to the grassroots, community-based, outreach program designed to help the nation’s estimated 200,000 homeless veterans “combat” life on the streets. Currently there are over 100 Stand Downs held each year around the nation.

 Services to be offered at this year's event include V.A. medical and mental health counseling, dental, chiropractic, legal assistance and a homeless court, employment and vocational rehabilitation counseling, assistance with V.A. and Social Security benefits claims, tax matters, drug and alcohol counseling, clothing, haircuts, 3 good meals per day, showers, and a safe place to sleep.

 Year after year, dedicated service providers, volunteers, community-based organizations, and representatives from city, county, state and federal agencies have joined together in a collaborative effort to see that our nation’s disadvantaged veterans do not get left behind or forgotten.

 What is increasingly alarming in the past few years and in the years to come are the number of our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are and will be in need of our help and assistance to readjust to life at home.

 Additionally, the families of veterans currently serving in our military today often need our assistance. Their sacrifice is frequently overlooked as husbands or wives, fathers or mothers, brothers or sisters, sons or daughters are serving away from home and family. Stand Down extends an open and warm invitation to the families of our active duty military personnel to come and receive services at this year’s event in White City. 

 Rick Freund, one of the Event Coordinators for Southern Oregon Stand Down, states why he is involved: "I am a decorated combat Vietnam Veteran and proud of it. When I came home my life was pretty much a wreck for a lot of years and I didn’t know why. I found out about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the late 1980s and did counseling for 12 years before I got serious treatment in 2001. My life changed a lot and my life today is about helping other veterans find the ‘peace’ that I have found.  I got involved with SOSD a few years ago as a volunteer and found that was a way I could reach out to veterans."

 For all of us who served in the military and those that did not, we can all reach out to those less fortunate veterans that need help...be it help with a financial donation, volunteering some time in the 3-day event, or just reaching out in a small way.

 Special events at Southern Oregon Stand Down in Roseburg this September, include:

Ÿ     A map of the world where a veteran can place a marker, with his name and duty station, and perhaps link up with old friends.

Ÿ      Saturday evening beginning about 6 pm - an open invitation to our community to come out for an evening of music, fellowship, and camaraderie. This will also be a chance to honor our veterans, our volunteers, and our supporters.

Ÿ        A special remembrance ceremony for our WIAs, KIAs, MIAs, and POWs that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the wars and conflicts of our nation.

 For further information please contact:

2010 Event Coordinators:

Rick Freund 541-643-0254      Email:  huey619@charter.net

Southern Oregon Stand Down is a Non-profit 501(c)3 organization.