Veterans Stand Down offers supplies, to vets and public

Veterans Stand Down, organized by the Veteran’s Administration and the community, seeks to “bring services to veterans and their families,” said a press release from the Fort Belknap Housing Department.

At the event, military items such as coats, boots and sleeping bags will be distributed to those in need. The event will be at the Fort Belknap Bingo Hall Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for veterans and their families and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon for the public. There will also be a meal served at the hall for attendees.

Veterans and participants in the event will be given two duffel bags in which they may fill with an item from different tables. The tables will be manned by volunteers who will aid people with the items. The items are things like boots, sleeping bags, coats, long-johns and T-shirts.

“We’ve got two semi-loads in here,” Cochran said. “We’re trying to reach all the veterans on the Hi-Line.”

Cochran said Stand Downs have been held in Great Falls and Billings, but never anywhere on the Hi-Line. After this Stand Down, they plan to hold yearly veteran benefits that are similar.

Veterans and their families may also speak with volunteers and organizers of the event to see what benefits they are eligible for.

“A lot of them aren’t enrolled,” said Ginny Cochran, who helped organized the event. “There’s a lot of information that we want to give out and let them know what they’re eligible for. Their families might be eligible too and not know it. A lot of times, there’s widows out there who are eligible; they can also come and find out what they’re eligible for.”

“The Hi-Line has never had (a Stand Down event),” the press release says. “This is the first. We are reaching veterans from Malta to Rocky Boy.”

The communities invited to the event are the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Malta, Dodson, Harlem, Hogeland, Turner, Chinook, Havre and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Stand Downs are a VA initiative to “provide services to homeless veterans.”

“Stand Downs are typically one to three day events providing services to homeless Veterans, such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as housing, employment and substance abuse treatment,” the website reads.

Cochran said bringing Stand Down to the Hi-Line was successful because of help from U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and his work with Veteran Affairs.

“He helped us secure this and get it going,” Cochran said. “I hope everybody comes and takes advantage of this.”

The first day of the Stand Down, Thursday, will open with a welcoming ceremony, for World War II veterans, in which the Fort Belknap President Mark L. Azure will speak.

For more information, contact Ginny Cochran at 945-3347 or Mike Weasel at 353-7072.