The Trump Administration plans to cut over 80,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. On the Westside, Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans is hosting a Stand Down and Career Fair on Wednesday and Thursday with dozens of local agencies and organizations ready to help.
It’s open to all veterans who need assistance with housing, legal matters, job training, haircuts, and even pet care.
“Well, stand down is a military term that they used really more around the Vietnam era, where they were bringing the guys out of the jungle," Bruce Hamilton, veteran and event organizer for Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans.
Hamilton says nowadays the term “stand down” is used to help at-risk veterans.
“It's the same thing for our homeless, we're just trying to get them the out of the desert, out of the washes, and into an event like this to get a little bit of rest. Just to see if we can make a difference for that, you know. And we also have housing folks here trying to get them into housing," Hamilton said.
This event comes at a time when resources for veterans could be affected by the recent dismissal of thousands of VA employees.
“So, we've been doing this event since 2005. We have over 80 resource tables today for housing, behavioral health. Just a myriad of different things," Hamilton said.
Robert, a 97-year-old World War II veteran, tells me he appreciates the camaraderie that comes with being around fellow veterans on top of the medical support at the stand down.
“I think that's the best part of the whole event," Robert said. "Connecting veterans with the facilities that they need.”
Vietnam veteran Lynette G. Halbert says having all the resources in one place helps veterans find what they need, and more like pet care.
“The veterans that come here need help in all aspects," said Halbert.
The Stand Down and Career Fair runs through Thursday. More information is here.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
