Veterans Village of San Diego will hold its annual Stand Down event – a three-day encampment put together to help homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness – from July 20-22 at Pechanga Arena.

Started in 1988, Veterans Village of San Diego was the first organization to hold a Stand Down to assist San Diego’s struggling veterans. Since then, it has expanded outside the city and across the nation.

“We have too many homeless veterans – homeless and veteran should never be in the same sentence,” said Kimberley Monday, Veterans Village of San Diego vice president of development and communications. “For us to create this awareness and bring this community together is so vital to ending veteran homelessness. It’s a hand-up, not a handout.”

The event is aimed at providing services that help veterans seek medical, legal, mental health, and substance-abuse assistance. Veterans Village of San Diego partners with sponsors and nonprofits to gather daily meals, clothing, shoes, hygiene products, access to employment information, and more to send homeless veterans back on their feet.

“We can do anything and everything for them, and it’s going to happen very fast,” said Monday. “For example, if someone needs an extraction, we are going to put them in our transportation and escort them over to the Veterans Village of San Diego campus where we have a dental clinic on-site to do the extraction.”

This year, Pacific Beach Town Council, Pacific Beach Woman’s Club, and Pacific Beach American Legion Auxiliary Unit 552 are among the nonprofits working with Veterans Village of San Diego to provide the veterans with the services they need.

The PB Woman’s Club, which has been donating to this cause for over 10 years, has been working alongside PBTC and the American Legion Auxiliary to gather clothing, socks, and underwear in the months leading up to the event.

“In 1992, I saw World War II veterans and Vietnam veterans needing our help. Now, I have seen the Desert Storm, post 9/11, Iraq war and the Afghanistan war [veterans] coming through the gates for Stand Down,” said Ellen Citrano, president of PB Woman’s Club. “Knowing that we can make a difference with any of them makes my heart sing. It will never be enough, but hopefully, we can get them back some of their dignity, improve their mental health, and help make their lives whole again.”

Veterans Village of San Diego relies heavily on donations and volunteers to hold Stand Down. More than 100 agencies and 3,000 volunteers have participated in the event over the years.

“This shows what our community is made of. It’s an important event for homeless veterans – it changes lives. They go through this program to get them where they need to be to go back into society feeling complete,” said Monday.

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San Diegans are encouraged to partake in Stand Down in any way possible. To volunteer, sponsor, or register as a veteran seeking aid, go to vvsd.net to fill out an online form.