Stand Down event brings resources for Veterans in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – The Central Valley Veterans Stand Down event was created more than 30 years ago as a way to help veterans who were struggling to get their lives back on track.

The two-day event collaborates with numerous government agencies, non-profit organizations, veterans organizations, and more to assist all veterans and their families, unhoused or not, with various resources.

“The term stand down is a military term for when you retreat back to the rear to regroup, you know, reorganize the staff,” said John Scheler, the director of Central Valley Veterans Stand Down. “It was started in 1989 for the Vietnam Veterans because when we came out with Vietnam, veterans had nowhere to go.”

It is held from Sept. 25 through Sept. 26 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8900 in Fresno.

“Here we give them three hots and a cot,” said Scheler. “We feed them, we give them all the clothing they can carry and it gives them time to go through all the services.”

Veterans can come in and take advantage of the multiple resources on site.

“Our court is this afternoon,” he said. “It starts at about 1:30 this afternoon. We have DMV. We have all the services throughout the valley, not just necessarily Fresno, but throughout the valley here.”

Navy Veteran John Weisenberger was at the Stand Down event as a volunteer with the Clovis Elks’ Club.

“What this is to me is magic,” said Weisenberger. “With all of the stuff that goes on, you know, we don’t have a clue how much support there is for veterans and being here in the Fresno area.”

For more information on services available to Veterans in the area visit centralvalleyveterans.org.

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