After taking last year off due to COVID-19, the Smoky Mountain Veteran Stand Down returned to the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building on Sept. 16.
Despite the work they put in during their service, some veterans experience issues like homelessness, poverty and food insecurity, all problems that have gotten worse since the start of the pandemic. To address this problem, Veteran Stand Down events offer a place where veterans can access resources that they might normally lack. Lots of local businesses turn out to donate necessary services, including medical care, job counseling and insurance.
“We mostly work in Buncombe County, but it’s important to us to help serve veterans all over,” said Denise Chambers, an insurance broker who attended the event. “We can help connect them with other community services as well.”
Many of the needs on display were more basic. There were rows of warm clothes for attendees to pick up as autumn starts rolling in, lunch was provided once they were finished browsing the booths, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary was handing out bags full of toiletries. Post president Shirley Fouts said veteran homelessness is a year-round problem and that the Stand Down is an important opportunity to get in touch with those affected.
“We’ve had a few homeless vets come through and it’s especially important for them,” Fouts said. “What we don’t give away today goes towards our Christmas stockings that we give out in December.”
Last year’s Stand Down had to be canceled because of risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. While such cancelations were common in 2020, the loss of the Stand Down was a particularly challenging problem. Alyce Knaflich, who came to the event representing the Aura Home for women veterans, said the problems vulnerable vets face aren’t usually solvable with an online teleconference, assuming they would even have access to it from wherever they are. Inviting them to the community building, where they can get a meal and some essential supplies, is a much more efficient solution.
“Having an in-person event where we can physically give them something makes a big difference,” Knaflich said.
Macon County Veteran Services Director Leigh Tabor was happy with how the event went. They started welcoming guests at 9 a.m. and they had seen more than 100 veterans (not including family members or anyone else who accompanied them) come through by noon.
“It’s been awesome,” Tabor said. “We have a lot of veterans who are hurting. So many people are getting the services that they need today.”
For more information on veteran services available in Macon County, call the Macon County Department of Veteran Services at 828-349-2151 or go online to www.maconnc.org/veterans-services.html.