Homeless veterans get three days off the streets

The 11th Ventura County Stand Down was conducted last week, Sat. and Sun., July 18 through 20, co-hosted by Oaks Christian High School (OCHS) and Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village.

About 200 to 250 veterans from the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles were expected to participate in this year’s event staged on the football field at OCHS.

Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the veterans who are homeless and on the streets. Hundreds of volunteers and organizations throughout Ventura County participate. It’s named for a "Stand Down" when, during times of war, exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefield to a place of relative security and safety.

During the three-day effort, veterans had the opportunity to live on campus in military-style tents and have access to campus lockerrooms, shower facilities and clean clothing.