Veterans shuffled into the Santa Maria Fairpark on Saturday morning, greeted by the smell of fresh coffee and a handshake from someone who called them by name.

The Santa Barbara County Veterans Stand Down marked its 13th full-scale year by bringing together hundreds of volunteers, service providers and active-duty airmen to support homeless and at-risk veterans. The event ran from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and offered medical care, hygiene supplies, legal assistance, haircuts, pet services and two warm meals to more than 400 veterans.

A stand down in military terms refers to a safe place for service members to rest, recover and receive basic necessities before returning to combat. 

Monica Diaz, the event’s clothing and hygiene coordinator, said Saturday’s event aimed to be that safe place, even if just for a day.

“One of the things that gets me every year is you have a veteran come in and their family come in and they receive whatever services or resources we have here,” she said. “It’s kind of like an exhale. Somebody’s taking care of me, my community cares about me, my community sees me.”

The fairpark was divided into service zones, with two main buildings and several outdoor booths. One building, focused on clothing and hygiene, operated almost like a department store, offering racks of warm jackets and tables of bundled hygiene kits. 

A row of barber stations, staffed by stylists including many from Pristine Barber Academy in Santa Maria, stayed busy giving haircuts to attendees.

Diaz, a Gold Star mother with two sons who served in the military, said the goal is to make that space feel familiar and welcoming from the moment people arrive.

“As a mom, if I had my son walk in through the door, how would I want them to be treated?” she said.

Clothing and supplies are donated or purchased with community support, including bulk hygiene kits from Direct Relief and items bought through a public Walmart registry.

“Hygiene products and towels. Those go quick,” she said.

Other in-demand items include fleece blankets, underclothing and socks, especially as veterans prepare for colder nights. 

As a single mother who raised four kids, Diaz said she understands the kind of choices people make when money is tight. 

“Those are things that sometimes people just don’t have the money to replenish in their lives, the basic necessities,” she said.

Across from the clothing and hygiene area, a second large building hosted more than 100 service providers offering support with health care, housing, education, job training and recovery, including Community Health Centers, Allan Hancock College, the YMCA and the VA.

“All the service providers are there to help reconnect them back into the community,” said Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, who founded the event more than a decade ago.

Lavagnino said the providers work with veterans to address practical barriers to stability, whether it’s help reinstating a suspended driver’s license or applying for food assistance.

“I can guarantee you, if a veteran shows up on Saturday … either all their needs will be addressed right then or we will make sure that that happens,” he said.

More than 100 active-duty airmen from Vandenberg Space Force Base served as “guardian angels” during the event, walking alongside veterans to carry bags, schedule follow-up appointments and simply sit and talk.

“You see people walking around that have obviously struggled and have had a tough life, but they look around and they see other people in uniform and there’s a camaraderie there,” Lavagnino said. “You can kind of see the soldier kind of come out in some of the folks that probably haven’t thought about the time they served in decades.”

Pet care services, including vaccinations, exams and grooming, were available to veterans accompanied by animals.

Kevin Beaufeaux, a Los Alamos resident who has attended the Stand Down since 2016, said what he appreciates most is the people helping out, particularly the airmen from Vandenberg. This year, he brought his 11-year-old dog Dallas to get help diagnosing a food allergy.

Sandy Agalos, the event’s longtime coordinator, said organizing the Stand Down is a year-round process built on trust, experience and a shared sense of purpose.

“We can look at each other and know what’s going on,” she said. “We trust each other.”

Most volunteers return year after year and are assigned to roles in advance, she added.

“It’s all prearranged down to your specialty and where you’re going to be,” Agalos said.

For Diaz, the impact of that preparation shows in the small, meaningful moments that unfold throughout the day.

“We are making a difference in somebody’s life,” she said, “and their quality of life is just a little bit better, even if it’s for a short time.”