Hundreds of veterans attend Del. Veterans’ Stand Down event

Hundreds of veterans from all over Delaware, gathered in Dover Friday for the Delaware Veterans’ Stand Down event.

Veterans like Jose Rodriguez, a disabled Marine veteran, diagnosed with PTSD. For years he didn’t have a steady home or treatment facility. He just recently broke the cycle, getting out of treatment and becoming a homeowner with the help of Veterans Affairs and other services like the Stand Down event.

“Now Its like new life, like being independent and living on your own. Its a lot of responsibility but that’s what I’m doing now and my health is better and everything,” says Rodriguez.

Event director Liz Byers-Jiron tells 47 ABC that its designed to be a one-stop shop for anything veterans may need, free of charge.

“My purpose of the stand down is to give veterans what they need up front. If you give veterans what you need up front then they won’t become at risk and then they won’t become homeless,” explains Byers-Jiron.

Senator Carper says it’s events like these that are helping reduce the number of homeless veterans in the country. Carper says veteran unemployment is now below five percent, seven years ago it was over ten.

Veterans’ officials say they give credit to a shift in focus from immediate needs, like temporary housing, to also include training opportunities to improve veterans’ skill-sets.

U.S. Department of Labor for veterans director David B. Rich says, “Lets not just get them cycling through housing. Let’s start getting them employed, let’s find opportunities that can have them employed to help them become more self-sufficient so they can take care of themselves and their family.”

On Friday, more than 120 vendors offered their services from medical and dental checkups to clothes, legal services and haircuts.  

Free Services for those who have served.