Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down
This year’s Winterhaven Homeless Stand Down was held Jan. 25 at the Washington DC VA Medical Center, 50 Irving St. NW in Washington, DC. The Department of Veterans Affairs is committed to ending homelessness among Veterans by the year 2015. Operation Renewed Hope Foundation was one of 50 organization there to assist these Veterans. Over 500 Veterans stopped by our table for information on housing opportunities, and walked away with hats, gloves, scarves hand warmers, jackets and snacks. The Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down offered medical screenings, mental health consultations, employment support and housing services to 512 Veteran participants, 37 were women Veterans and six were from the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary, General Eric Shinseki, and his wife, Patty Shinseki, volunteered at the event, giving out coats and warm clothing. Dr. Robert Petzel, Under Secretary for Health, also attended, as well as staff from the offices of Senator Mark Begich, Congressman Norman Dicks, and House Minority Leader Representative Nancy Pelosi.
Two of our staff met with General Shinseki and thanked him for what he and the VA were doing for our Veterans. Staff briefed him on Operation Renewed Hope Foundation’s tenacious efforts in contributing to the decrease in the homelessness Veteran population in the Metro DC area. In keeping with military tradition, our staff members received his coveted Department of Veterans Affairs coin.
