On Sept. 23, the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA) and Stand Down of South Jersey, Inc., hosted Stand Down 2005 at the National Guard Armory in Cherry Hill.

This follows a Stand Down that was held a week previously at Essex County Community College in Newark on Sept. 17.

DMAVA, along with many volunteers and civic organizations held the Stand Down to provide
homeless veterans with access to healthcare, mental health screening, substance abuse counseling, social services availability, religious counseling, a hot meal, a haircut and winter clothing. Stand Down’s ultimate goal is to show disenfranchised veterans that someone still cares and to assist them in bringing their homelessness to a close.

This is the fourth year that Stand Down was held at the Cherry Hill Armory. Before 2000, Stand
Downs were held at Fort Dix and Naval Weapon Station Lakehurst. Last year 137 homeless veterans and their families attended the Stand Down.

On any given night there are an estimated 341,000 homeless veterans in the U.S., up from 274,000 in 1995. About one-third of the homeless have served in the Armed Forces. The number of homeless Vietnam veterans exceeds the number of servicemembers killed during any given conflict. And finally, there are currently 7,500 homeless veterans in New Jersey.

Stand Down comes from the military term referring to exhausted combat units that were removed from the battlefront to a place of security and safety for rest and recovery. Today Stand Downs are grass roots, community-based intervention program to help homeless veterans
battle life on the streets. The program has a philosophy of a hand up not a hand out. The first
Stand Down was held in 1988 in San Diego. Today more than 80 are held annually to reach an estimated 100,000 homeless veterans.

The organizations that supported Stand Down 2005 were NJDMAVA, Stand Down of South Jersey, Inc., the Veterans Administration, The Retired Officers Association, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, Marine Corps League, American Ex-Prisoners of War, Veterans of Foreign War, Gold Star Wives, Jewish War Veterans, Burlington County Veterans Services Office, Camden County Veterans Services Office, Camden County Board of Social Services, Community Services of Camden County, U.S. Department of Labor and the Fort Dix post chaplains.

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Range Hosts Vineland Vets
Veterans and members of the 177th Fighter Wing and 108th Air Refueling Wing protect their eyes as they watch a mini-air show at the Warren Grove Training Range Sept. 22. Military members of Warren Grove Range, the 177th and 108th hosted veterans from the Vineland Veterans Memorial Home at an annual barbecue and air show at the Range. The program was organized by the Range personnel, Senior Master Sgt. Tom Dunn and Senior Master Sgt. Tim Donovan from the 177th, and Master Sgt. Steve Sabato from the 108th. This event, along with the Holiday Party at the Vineland Home has been a New Jersey Air National Guard tradition for a number of years. Photo by Master Sgt. Anthony Christmas, 177FW.

Table of Contents
Be Powerful, Be Heard
DCVA Message
Governor's Letter
WWII Memorial
Kiosk Highlights Benefits
Veterans Homes Criteria
Reconstitution Process
NJ Vets Benefits
Stand Down 2005
One Shots
Grave Blankets
VSO Listing

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