BEAUMONT, Texas — Representatives from more than 76 Southeast Texas non-profit groups will be on hand to assist homeless veterans and others in need during a stand-down on Friday.
The Southeast Texas Stand Down 2022 will be held at the Beaumont Civic Center on September 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Organizers with the nonprofit Veterans 4 Veterans have been putting on this event for a decade.
They say across the five counties they serve, there are at least 25,000 veterans, with fewer than 10 percent of them being homeless.
"They justify services available for the area based on the amount of veterans in the area so we need to make sure the veterans show up and show out and let their counties know that they are there," said Seth Wells, founding members of Veterans 4 Veterans.
In 2021, Seth Wells says 400 vets made their way from table to table receiving care packages and information about legal matters, health and housing.
Lillie Boudreaux has been a vendor since the beginning.
She says her organization Accent Care Hospice falls under a much larger umbrella, classified as a level four that can offer vets multiple resources.
"We are apart of a WeAreVeterans.org. It is a national organization that assists veterans with getting information and services that they need not only at the local level but the national level," Boudreaux said.
Mali Covington is a senior account manager for Patriot Angels. Her company helps senior veterans' spouses apply for Veteran's Association benefits so they can afford senior housing.
Covington says she hopes to use her first time at the stand down event as a networking opportunity.
"Learning about all the other services out there that I'm able to take with me and share with the veterans that I deal with everyday that's so exciting. I think that everybody's here for a reason, and it's because they care for veterans and what to get them the help they need," she said.
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