During the 10th annual Santa Barbara County Veterans Stand Down, almost 400 veterans received access to vital services, including clothing, housing assistance, legal aid, mental health counseling, and medical care.
Veterans had access to almost 100 different services at the one-day event on Oct. 15 at the Santa Maria Fairpark.
Of the 389 veterans attending, there were 44 women. Of those attending, 101 classified themselves as homeless, including eight women, according to 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, who founded the event.
Two homeless veterans were placed in housing following Stand Down, Lavagnino said.
Lavagnino is aided by coordinator Sandy Agalos and a volunteer committee of about 100 people. No taxpayer funds are used for Stand Down.
The ages of attendees ranged from veterans who served in the current conflicts in the Middle East to two veterans ages 91-101. There were 76 veterans aged 51-60; 99 veterans ages 61-70, and 61 veterans ages 71-80. There were also two veterans age 20 and almost two dozen in the 81-90 age range.
In its first year, a total of 229 veterans attended.
In all, this year there were 509 volunteers, including a large contingent of active duty volunteers from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Team Vandenberg crew assisted with staging the event; greeted veterans at the arriving buses; served food in the meal line; visited with veterans; and worked in the convention center restocking and sorting items.
Among the new providers and partners this year were: Surgical Eye Expeditions International (SEE), Direct Mortgage Funding, California Council on Problem Gambling, Legacy Village, and a U.S. Army recruiter.
Direct Relief International (DRI) provided hygiene kits and 450 backpacks with survival items; the Santa Barbara County Cattlemen’s Association provided the beef for the barbecue luncheon; Santa Maria Fairpark provided a $4,500 sponsorship; and Great American Storage provided much-needed space.
Major financial supporters included $10,000 from CoastHills Credit Union, $2,500 from PG&E, $7,500 from Santa Barbara Elks Groovin’ in the Grove, $2,000 from Dignity Health, and $2,500 from Allan Hancock College.
During Stand Down, New Beginnings Counseling Center saw 73 veterans and made 15 follow-up appointments and SLO Vet Center had one-on-one consultations with five veterans.
The Santa Maria Public Library Bookmobile handed out books and library cards to 84 veterans. Legal experts aided 30 people and the Veterans Benefit staff spoke with 16 people.
The Pet Zone helped 46 veterans with vaccinations, grooming, food, and exams for their animals. SEE International tested 38 veterans and made 18 follow-up appointments.
Stand Down grant writer Heather Gardner and her team served 77 homeless veterans in the footware area, giving out 166 pairs of boots and shoes. She secured a $7,000 federal grant for the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services Homeless Boot distribution area.
During the debrief session for committee members, Lavagnino presented several awards.
“I am proud to work with all of you,” he said. “I am honored to have shared in this experience with you. Much of what we accomplished is attributed to you, the volunteers whom we now entrust with carrying out our goals.”
Primo Heredia and Stephen DeRose were named Volunteers of the Year and the Chumash Casino Resort was named Organization of the Year.
Heredia is responsible for maintaining the convention center clothing area along with his mother, Monica Diaz, a Gold Star parent.
Lavagnino said the words “quiet strength and confidence” come to mind when speaking about Heredia.
“When a unique opportunity arose, Primo saw a nexus between his employment at Walmart and our need for new underwear, socks, and shirts, and he devised a way that the community can participate through an online registry,” Lavagnino said.
“He has the talent and vision to see the flow ahead of time in the Convention Center and direct volunteers, while staying composed and confident, even in the mist of chaos,” he said.
DeRose has volunteered with Stand Down since its inception. He began as an intern in Lavagnino’s office in 2012.
“Stephen connects to the vets and volunteers and makes them feel comfortable,” Lavagnino said. “We quickly realized that he is a leader as he came up with ideas on how to streamline the entire Stand Down and recruited his mother to run the veteran’s check-in desk.
“He is an energetic, enthusiastic, and outgoing person who is well-organized and who brings out the best in others.”
Mary McKinley, now director of transportation Services for the Chumash, accepted the award for her organization.
“The Chumash Casino Resort has been with us since day one,” Lavagnino said. “Every year, Mary meticulously tracks each veterans’ transportation needs and develops a transportation program for Veterans Stand Down that includes one-to-one transportation for those who cannot access traditional transportation.”
He recognized the Chumash for all its charitable giving.
“Santa Barbara County is blessed with citizens who possess great public spirit, that in addition to their daily pursuits, have taken a keen interest in the community,” he said.
For more about the Santa Barbara County Stand Down, visit http://sbcountystanddown.com. Financial donations or donated gift cards are welcome throughout the year, with a link available on the Stand Down webpage.
The next Stand Down will be Oct. 28, 2023.