Annual service fair for veterans kicks off
Stand Down offers online, in-person info sessions
Stand Down, Connecticut’s annual service fair for veterans, is set for Wednesday through Friday and includes online information sessions and in-person services.
Organized by the state Department of Veterans Affairs, the event offers assistance through state and federal agencies, veterans organizations and community based nonprofits. The kickoff ceremony Wednesday at 9 a.m. will be broadcast live via social media from the department’s Rocky Hill Campus.
Online sessions include:
On Wednesday from 10:3011:30 a.m., the state Department of Labor will provide an overview of programs and services available to veterans looking for work or seeking to improve their employment situations. General information regarding unemployment benefits will also be provided.
From 1-2 p.m., veterans can learn about Unitect, a program that provides up to $15,000 for rent and $1,500 for electricity payments to households financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Veterans health care, residential programs and benefits are topics in a session set for 3:304:30 p.m. The Sgt. John L. Levitow Healthcare Center in Rocky Hill is a skilled nursing facility that provides long-term care, palliative care and short-term rehabilitation to veterans with chronic, disabling conditions who require 24-hour assistance. The facility is Medicare and Medicaid Certified as well as a Federal VA Certified State Veterans Home.
On Thursday from 9:30-10:30 a.m., a Social Security representative will provide an overview of programs and services.
From 11 a.m. to noon, a state Department of Social Services will give an overview of benefits and services.
State Department of Motor Vehicles representatives will discuss services to veterans related to licenses and identification, vehicle registration, commercial driver licenses and available resources from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
The VA Connecticut Healthcare System, which provides care in 10 locations, is the focus from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Representatives from various programs will give an overview of the federal VA health care benefits and services available to Connecticut veterans.
On Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., in-person services will be available, including vaccinations, legal services, medical screenings and meals to go. Locations are in Bridgeport, Port 5 National Association of Navy Veterans, 69 Brewster St.; Danbury, Danbury
War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive; Danielson, Quinebaug Valley Community College, 742 Upper Maple St.; Norwich, Easter Seals Veterans Rally Point, 24 Stott Ave.; and the DVA campus in Rocky Hill, 287 West St.
To register for online sessions and in-person services, visit eventbrite.com/e/stand-down2021-tickets-158109274095.
In past years, up to 1,000 vets have converged around tents on the Rocky Hill campus to take
advantage of everything from free socks to mental health counseling.
In military parlance, “stand down” means the alert is over and soldiers can relax a bit. In Connecticut, the Veterans’ Stand Down started in 1992. The initial focus was helping homeless veterans, but the scope has widened greatly to include services offered by state and federal governments and nonprofit organizations focused on veterans’ welfare.