Veterans Cite Healthcare, Benefits As Reasons For Attending Stand Down
July 23, 2022 at 12:22 a.m.
Veterans Cite Healthcare, Benefits As Reasons For Attending Stand Down
By David L. Slone-
Some of them traveled from as far as South Bend or North Judson to the Warsaw Municipal Airport for information on their veteran health care benefits or just to see what was being given out.
Jill Powers, Goodwill’s veterans and military families program manager, said over 100 pre-registered for the annual Stand Down. After the first hour, 154 had gone through the line for the three-hour event.
“It’s an opportunity for us to bring resources for veterans into one location for a few hours,” she said. “Veterans can access VA services, housing services and just a variety of other community organizations and see what they have to offer. We also have a variety of giveaways - clothing, hygiene products and stuff like that. And we also provide everyone with a catered hot meal.”
Volunteers for Goodwill handled the registration and manned a drive-through area where, as the veterans drove from the Stand Down, they could stop by there to pick up pre-packed backpacks.
“We were awarded some money from the Bob Woodruff Foundation and we’re using part of that money - we brought a mobile food pantry in from the Food Bank of Northern Indiana - so they going to be able to pick up some fresh vegetables and a variety of cool stuff down there, too,” Powers said.
Not only does Goodwill do the Stand Downs at various locations across Indiana, but she said Goodwill is here to help veterans all-year round. “So, anybody can contact Goodwill and say they’re a vet and need something and they’ll get connected to me,” Powers said.
Different Eras
Friday’s Stand Down was the first one for Anthony Reed, of Mentone. His dad, Edward Reed, invited him to come out to it as it was Anthony’s first year back home. Anthony was in the Army, serving from 2011 to 2017. He was at Fort Riley, Kans.; Fort Campbell, Tenn.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and then in Afghanistan.
Anthony said he was just seeking general information at the Stand Down.
Edward served in the Army from 1989 to 2002. It was his third Stand Down in Warsaw he’s attended since they started.
He said he comes, and brought his son this year, to try to “keep up with the healthcare benefits, the VA. He gets the contact information that he needs if he needs help with anything.”
Edward said the Stand Downs are easier than going to the Veterans Administration because, “you’re closer to home. They come here. Most people can’t get the time off of work to run up there (to the VA), and by the time you get off work the offices are usually closed. So to have them come local, I think is one of the better things they’ve done for the vets.”
He said the Stand Downs need to continue.
“We’ve got young guys coming home from Iraq, Afghanistan, a whole new generation that has never had to deal with the VA. They’re mostly coming from active duty, right to home, trying to find jobs and there’s healthcare available for them. They need it because a lot of companies aren’t offering healthcare anymore,” Edward said.
Clarence Burks, of South Bend, and his brother came to Warsaw for Friday’s Stand Down. Both are U.S. Air Force veterans. Clarence served from 1976 to 1982, while his brother served from 1971 to 1975.
Clarence said his brother brought him and he just wanted to get some “information about what I need to know about benefits and what have you.” He said healthcare was their main reason for attending.
Melissa Blue, Winona Lake, served in the Army from 1984 to 1986. She wasn’t in any documented wars, but she was enlisted and served in Germany.
“I recently have discovered, being a veteran, there’s a lot of help for my health and different things,” she said.
Besides keeping up on the healthcare available to her, Blue said she’s always looking to reach out, “stretching my world and getting more support. And maybe there’s even something I can do.”
Yancy Horn, Warsaw, said he comes out to the Stand Down every year. He said he just comes out to see what’s going on. He served in the Marines from 1966-72. He served two tours in Vietnam.
Various Organizations
The Stand Down kicked off Friday with a brief ceremony at 3 p.m., starting with the posting of the colors.
In his opening remarks, Stephen Sheets, assistant director for the Veterans Affairs Northern Indiana Health Care System, said Stand Downs are part of the plan to end homelessness as they help to identify homeless veterans in the community that are yet to be served. Veterans make up about 6% of the U.S. population, but 8% of the country’s homeless population.
The first Veterans’ Stand Down was held in San Diego, Calif. in summer 1988, and the popularity of the event has steadily grown.
“Today, the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System supports seven of the more than 190 Stand Down events nationwide, include this Stand Down in Warsaw,” Sheets said. “Stand Downs for homeless veterans were modeled after the Stand Down concept used during war to provide a safe retreat for units returning from combat operations.”
He said the program brings community providers together in one location to provide needed, easily accessible services to help veterans.
“These are grassroots, community-based events designed to address the unique challenges of each homeless veteran. These challenges often include mental health and substance abuse issues, and the VA is ready to help with counseling services to address these needs. The ultimate goal is to assist these veterans off the streets permanently, and the VA works alongside the community by providing transitional and permanent housing options,” Sheets stated.
Since a plan to end homelessness began in 2009, he continued, “we have reduced the number of homeless veterans by about 50% nationwide. As of this year, in northern Indiana, we celebrate housing over 1,100 veterans in their own homes through our HUD-VASH Program. We have also housed over 3,200 veterans in transitional housing while working to place them in permanent housing.
“We also fund the Supportive Services for Veterans Families Grants to prevent homelessness for at-risk veterans and rapidly re-house veterans who are homeless, which enrolled 136 veterans for fiscal year 2021. We have a new GPD case management program in which we partnered with community providers to assist veterans in maintaining their housing with wrap-around services. Ninety-five veterans have participated thus far,” Sheets concluded.
Some of the organizations that had tables at the Stand Down included Indiana State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), Angels of Mercy Homecare, Express Employment Professionals, Combined Community Services, WorkOne and more.
Ken Locke, envoy with the Salvation Army, said the Salvation Army was just giving veterans “a little bit of everything and also we’re giving each one of them a knife. Just want to thank the veterans for their service to our country. We really appreciate them.”
He said the Salvation Army tries to participate in the Stand Down every year.
“It’s a great activity and we’re really glad to be a part of this,” Locke said.
Susan Spilly, with SHIP, said SHIP is “a federally-funded program that helps people understand their Medicare benefits. And a lot of veterans access Medicare, in addition to VA services or Tricare for Life for Retired Service People. And so, we can talk to them about how the programs work together and what options do they have.”
She said some of the veterans Friday asked about certain options to Medicare and how they work with veterans’ benefits.
“And since we don’t sell insurance, and we are the place to go for impartial information, then it’s safe for them to talk to us and ask us questions. We’ll provide whatever information they need to make a decision,” Spilly said.
Angels of Mercy Homecare, according to Account Executive Jeremy Patrick, is a Warsaw company that offers occupational and physical therapy and skilled nursing in the home.
“So instead of them having to go out to outpatient therapy, we can actually come to the house and do the therapy there,” he said. “The reason I come to the veteran events is because the veterans actually get that benefit for free, and they actually don’t have to be homebound where when we deal with folks with Medicare and things like that, they have to be homebound and in their home. But the veterans can actually take advantage of those benefits without having to be homebound. It’s a really good feature for them.”
Patrick said they do a lot of work with the VA out of Fort Wayne, and Angels of Mercy offers a whole list of care for veterans.
Helping Veterans
Scott Allison, of W.R. Hall Insurance Group, is a U.S. Air Force veteran (1995-99) who was volunteering to hand out items to the other veterans.
“It’s veterans serving veterans,” Allison said. “It’s just another way that we can continue to serve. You hate to see other veterans that need help. These folks are elderly, they’re on a fixed income and so the VA partners with Goodwill to do this event every year, and actually, do them all over the country. And so it’s great for us to give back to the veterans who gave so much to us.”
This is the second consecutive year that the Warsaw Municipal Airport has hosted the Military Veteran Stand Down for service members, veterans, their families and caregivers.
Airport Manager Nick King said, “We do it mainly to support all of our local veterans. That’s the number one reason we do it. As a son of a veteran and a grandson of a veteran, I employ five veterans myself, and so being able to give back to that community is huge.”
He said Goodwill reached out to him a few years ago asking him if the airport would be able to host the Stand Down because of the space available at the airport.
“We put together a plan last year that worked out really well, and we were able to grow it from last year to this year. We brought the tents out and we’ve even got more attendance this year than I think we did last year already, so it’s been a really good event,” King said.
He said the airport would be willing to hose it again in 2023 “without a doubt. We’re looking forward to it. If they ask if we can host it, we would love to have them again.”
Friday’s Stand Down was a first for Darryl McDowell, Kosciusko County veteran service officer.
“First of all, I think it’s a great gathering, it’s a great way to kind of bring the veterans together, hear what they’ve got on their mind, hearing different situations from the era that they came from, but building that camaraderie and building the network, and the other things that the fine support of the vendors and providing things to the veterans for their continued enjoyment is a fantastic option. I love the whole scheme and the maneuver of this setup, and I encourage anyone who is a veteran in the future to reach out and come to these events,” he said.
Some of them traveled from as far as South Bend or North Judson to the Warsaw Municipal Airport for information on their veteran health care benefits or just to see what was being given out.
Jill Powers, Goodwill’s veterans and military families program manager, said over 100 pre-registered for the annual Stand Down. After the first hour, 154 had gone through the line for the three-hour event.
“It’s an opportunity for us to bring resources for veterans into one location for a few hours,” she said. “Veterans can access VA services, housing services and just a variety of other community organizations and see what they have to offer. We also have a variety of giveaways - clothing, hygiene products and stuff like that. And we also provide everyone with a catered hot meal.”
Volunteers for Goodwill handled the registration and manned a drive-through area where, as the veterans drove from the Stand Down, they could stop by there to pick up pre-packed backpacks.
“We were awarded some money from the Bob Woodruff Foundation and we’re using part of that money - we brought a mobile food pantry in from the Food Bank of Northern Indiana - so they going to be able to pick up some fresh vegetables and a variety of cool stuff down there, too,” Powers said.
Not only does Goodwill do the Stand Downs at various locations across Indiana, but she said Goodwill is here to help veterans all-year round. “So, anybody can contact Goodwill and say they’re a vet and need something and they’ll get connected to me,” Powers said.
Different Eras
Friday’s Stand Down was the first one for Anthony Reed, of Mentone. His dad, Edward Reed, invited him to come out to it as it was Anthony’s first year back home. Anthony was in the Army, serving from 2011 to 2017. He was at Fort Riley, Kans.; Fort Campbell, Tenn.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and then in Afghanistan.
Anthony said he was just seeking general information at the Stand Down.
Edward served in the Army from 1989 to 2002. It was his third Stand Down in Warsaw he’s attended since they started.
He said he comes, and brought his son this year, to try to “keep up with the healthcare benefits, the VA. He gets the contact information that he needs if he needs help with anything.”
Edward said the Stand Downs are easier than going to the Veterans Administration because, “you’re closer to home. They come here. Most people can’t get the time off of work to run up there (to the VA), and by the time you get off work the offices are usually closed. So to have them come local, I think is one of the better things they’ve done for the vets.”
He said the Stand Downs need to continue.
“We’ve got young guys coming home from Iraq, Afghanistan, a whole new generation that has never had to deal with the VA. They’re mostly coming from active duty, right to home, trying to find jobs and there’s healthcare available for them. They need it because a lot of companies aren’t offering healthcare anymore,” Edward said.
Clarence Burks, of South Bend, and his brother came to Warsaw for Friday’s Stand Down. Both are U.S. Air Force veterans. Clarence served from 1976 to 1982, while his brother served from 1971 to 1975.
Clarence said his brother brought him and he just wanted to get some “information about what I need to know about benefits and what have you.” He said healthcare was their main reason for attending.
Melissa Blue, Winona Lake, served in the Army from 1984 to 1986. She wasn’t in any documented wars, but she was enlisted and served in Germany.
“I recently have discovered, being a veteran, there’s a lot of help for my health and different things,” she said.
Besides keeping up on the healthcare available to her, Blue said she’s always looking to reach out, “stretching my world and getting more support. And maybe there’s even something I can do.”
Yancy Horn, Warsaw, said he comes out to the Stand Down every year. He said he just comes out to see what’s going on. He served in the Marines from 1966-72. He served two tours in Vietnam.
Various Organizations
The Stand Down kicked off Friday with a brief ceremony at 3 p.m., starting with the posting of the colors.
In his opening remarks, Stephen Sheets, assistant director for the Veterans Affairs Northern Indiana Health Care System, said Stand Downs are part of the plan to end homelessness as they help to identify homeless veterans in the community that are yet to be served. Veterans make up about 6% of the U.S. population, but 8% of the country’s homeless population.
The first Veterans’ Stand Down was held in San Diego, Calif. in summer 1988, and the popularity of the event has steadily grown.
“Today, the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System supports seven of the more than 190 Stand Down events nationwide, include this Stand Down in Warsaw,” Sheets said. “Stand Downs for homeless veterans were modeled after the Stand Down concept used during war to provide a safe retreat for units returning from combat operations.”
He said the program brings community providers together in one location to provide needed, easily accessible services to help veterans.
“These are grassroots, community-based events designed to address the unique challenges of each homeless veteran. These challenges often include mental health and substance abuse issues, and the VA is ready to help with counseling services to address these needs. The ultimate goal is to assist these veterans off the streets permanently, and the VA works alongside the community by providing transitional and permanent housing options,” Sheets stated.
Since a plan to end homelessness began in 2009, he continued, “we have reduced the number of homeless veterans by about 50% nationwide. As of this year, in northern Indiana, we celebrate housing over 1,100 veterans in their own homes through our HUD-VASH Program. We have also housed over 3,200 veterans in transitional housing while working to place them in permanent housing.
“We also fund the Supportive Services for Veterans Families Grants to prevent homelessness for at-risk veterans and rapidly re-house veterans who are homeless, which enrolled 136 veterans for fiscal year 2021. We have a new GPD case management program in which we partnered with community providers to assist veterans in maintaining their housing with wrap-around services. Ninety-five veterans have participated thus far,” Sheets concluded.
Some of the organizations that had tables at the Stand Down included Indiana State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), Angels of Mercy Homecare, Express Employment Professionals, Combined Community Services, WorkOne and more.
Ken Locke, envoy with the Salvation Army, said the Salvation Army was just giving veterans “a little bit of everything and also we’re giving each one of them a knife. Just want to thank the veterans for their service to our country. We really appreciate them.”
He said the Salvation Army tries to participate in the Stand Down every year.
“It’s a great activity and we’re really glad to be a part of this,” Locke said.
Susan Spilly, with SHIP, said SHIP is “a federally-funded program that helps people understand their Medicare benefits. And a lot of veterans access Medicare, in addition to VA services or Tricare for Life for Retired Service People. And so, we can talk to them about how the programs work together and what options do they have.”
She said some of the veterans Friday asked about certain options to Medicare and how they work with veterans’ benefits.
“And since we don’t sell insurance, and we are the place to go for impartial information, then it’s safe for them to talk to us and ask us questions. We’ll provide whatever information they need to make a decision,” Spilly said.
Angels of Mercy Homecare, according to Account Executive Jeremy Patrick, is a Warsaw company that offers occupational and physical therapy and skilled nursing in the home.
“So instead of them having to go out to outpatient therapy, we can actually come to the house and do the therapy there,” he said. “The reason I come to the veteran events is because the veterans actually get that benefit for free, and they actually don’t have to be homebound where when we deal with folks with Medicare and things like that, they have to be homebound and in their home. But the veterans can actually take advantage of those benefits without having to be homebound. It’s a really good feature for them.”
Patrick said they do a lot of work with the VA out of Fort Wayne, and Angels of Mercy offers a whole list of care for veterans.
Helping Veterans
Scott Allison, of W.R. Hall Insurance Group, is a U.S. Air Force veteran (1995-99) who was volunteering to hand out items to the other veterans.
“It’s veterans serving veterans,” Allison said. “It’s just another way that we can continue to serve. You hate to see other veterans that need help. These folks are elderly, they’re on a fixed income and so the VA partners with Goodwill to do this event every year, and actually, do them all over the country. And so it’s great for us to give back to the veterans who gave so much to us.”
This is the second consecutive year that the Warsaw Municipal Airport has hosted the Military Veteran Stand Down for service members, veterans, their families and caregivers.
Airport Manager Nick King said, “We do it mainly to support all of our local veterans. That’s the number one reason we do it. As a son of a veteran and a grandson of a veteran, I employ five veterans myself, and so being able to give back to that community is huge.”
He said Goodwill reached out to him a few years ago asking him if the airport would be able to host the Stand Down because of the space available at the airport.
“We put together a plan last year that worked out really well, and we were able to grow it from last year to this year. We brought the tents out and we’ve even got more attendance this year than I think we did last year already, so it’s been a really good event,” King said.
He said the airport would be willing to hose it again in 2023 “without a doubt. We’re looking forward to it. If they ask if we can host it, we would love to have them again.”
Friday’s Stand Down was a first for Darryl McDowell, Kosciusko County veteran service officer.
“First of all, I think it’s a great gathering, it’s a great way to kind of bring the veterans together, hear what they’ve got on their mind, hearing different situations from the era that they came from, but building that camaraderie and building the network, and the other things that the fine support of the vendors and providing things to the veterans for their continued enjoyment is a fantastic option. I love the whole scheme and the maneuver of this setup, and I encourage anyone who is a veteran in the future to reach out and come to these events,” he said.
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