The All Faith Consortium takes another step to reaching and serving America's Veterans in its annual "Salute Your Service-Stand Down" Exposition . This forum is designed to inform the American public of the tremendous challenges placed upon America 's Veterans, while we simultaneously motivate, educate and begin placing homeless veterans into critical personalized services that will help them overcome these challenges and restore their sense of dignity.   Though it is impossible to know exactly how many U.S. veterans are on the streets, experts still estimate that about 300,000 of them are homeless on any given night and that about half a million experience homelessness at some point during the year.

Among the homeless population in America , approximately one third are veterans. There are an estimated 275,000 homeless veterans nationally on any given night, and 5,500 in our Nations Capitol alone. According to the federal government, veterans make up 9% of the U.S. population but 23% of the homeless population. Among homeless men, veterans make up a whopping 33%.

In the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we understand that many of Katrina's victims are veterans
Almost 490,000 troops from the Armed Forces Guard and Reserve have mobilized since Sept. 11, 2001, overseas or state-side. Of those, about 320,000 have completed their mobilization. Now, as fighting continues in Iraq and Afghanistan, social service providers wonder what will happen to this generation of service men and women returning home from war, thousands who are natives of Louisiana , Mississippi , and Alabama .

It is suggested that after the homecomings are over and the yellow ribbons packed away, and the cities of the Gulf Coast have been rebuilt, many who once served in America 's armed forces have added to the horrific numbers of homelessness and have ended up sleeping on sidewalks.

Advocates for the homeless already are seeing veterans from the war on terror and hurricane Katrina living on the street, and say the government must do more to ease their transition from military to civilian life to survival and stability.

The All Faith Consortium (AFC) organized these services so that thousands of caring volunteers and professionals will give of their time, resources, and expertise to address the unique needs of homeless veterans in Washington and throughout the Nation. (The President); (US Congress); (Interagency Council on Homelessness) Other Veteran service organizations, National Guard and Reserve Units, US Department of Veterans Affairs and Labor staffs, Faith and Community-based organizations, homeless shelter programs, health care providers, veteran-helping-veteran programs, and concerned citizens have joined forces to stage this event.

Armies of Compassion Awards Dinner Banquet:
Notable dignitaries, celebrities, and professional athletes are expected to join us as we include the Armies of Compassion Awards Dinner on the eve of the Salute Your Service-Stand Down." This special event presentation is to formally recognize the charitable contributions of corporations and philanthropic organizations who serve as catalysts for supporting tremendous community service to Veterans and the homeless population throughout the Nation.

Stand Down and Hurricane Katrina
The All Faith Consortium has been called upon to offer a direct, rapid, and efficient humanitarian response that will be required in the weeks, months, and years ahead to veterans who are victims of Hurricane Katrina. We are expanding the efforts of the Salute Your Service-Stand Down to include continued and expanded emergency assistance support to those evacuees.

What is a Stand Down?
In times of war, exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety. At secure base camp areas, troops were able to take care of personal hygiene, get clean uniforms, enjoy warm meals, receive medical and dental care, mail and receive letters, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment.

Today, Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation's estimated 300,000 homeless veterans "combat" life on the streets. Homeless veterans are brought together in a single location for one to three days and are provided access to the community resources needed to begin addressing their individual problems and rebuilding their lives. In the military, Stand Down afforded battle-weary soldiers the opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being. The "Salute Your Service- Stand Down" will serve as a national model for such programs and simultaneously afford the same opportunity to the Washington area homeless veterans.

What happens at the Salute Your Service-Stand Down?
Hundreds of homeless veterans will provided with a broad range of necessities including food, clothing, medical, legal and mental health assistance, job counseling and referral, and most importantly, companionship and camaraderie. It is a time for the community to connect with the homeless veteran population and address this crisis that affects each and every town, city and state in this country. The hand up, not a handout philosophy of Stand Down is carried out through the work of thousands of volunteers and organizations throughout the nation.

Salute Your Service Exposition
The event will offer a panoply of support services that will initiate a process to reduce homelessness and recidivism through counseling, mentoring, and sustained employment. The "Salute Your Service" program will consist of several interdependent components: public awareness, philanthropic support, government and community services to include Mandatory Booth Stops: housing counseling, life skills training, marriage counseling, veteran benefits, substance abuse support, job readiness and employment and transitional/re-entry support.

These components will aid veterans in getting opportunities for securing and retaining employment as it is interspersed throughout and working in tandem with a host of ancillary support services, such as temporary housing, medical care, substance abuse prevention, educational assistance, transportation, and occupational training.

The "Salute Your Service" event encourages the development and implementation of innovative approaches from social services providers, housing developers, educators and trainers, employers, and organizations that have resources available to assist veterans in achieving economic and personal self-sufficiency that enhances our ability to move homeless veterans into self-sustaining employment, affordable housing, create upward mobility paths with higher earnings potential for eligible veterans, and achieve sustainable improvements in the community's service infrastructure.

The event will provide, at one central location the placement staff, programs and employers that will assist the participant's ways to overcome both systemic and personal barriers to obtaining and maintaining quality employment and becoming self-sufficient. The programs there will help strengthen their job skills, improve their employment opportunities, open the doors to financial management and home ownership, and help to maintain the integrity of the community and its families.



Workshops, Seminars, and Presentations Include:
  (The DC Armory will provide breakout rooms for all workshops to protect anonymity and eliminate distractions.)

Substance Abuse: The Invisible Home-wrecker
Objective - Enhance awareness of the inherent problems with substance abuse and its impact on children and family, and introduce participants to available programs.

Family Life: Keys to a Successful Marriage
Objective - Raise therapeutic awareness of choice while providing tools for better communication, conflict resolution, emotional balance, and living a healthy life style.

Financial Responsibility: Strategy for Supporting Your Family
Objective - Strategies to help organize and manage household finance and personal debt. How to budget for the future, making investing a lifestyle decision.

Stress Management: Building a Healthier Self and Family
Objective - Discuss the impact of domestic violence and stress related to anger and other expression that influence your relationship with your children and family.

Help! I Need A Job
Objective - Increase the ability to secure gainful employment and advance on the job. Introduction of participating resources that provide occupational skills training, soft-skills, enhancing job-seeking techniques and various employment opportunities.

Co- Parenting Partnerships for the Benefit of the Child
Objective - Learn team parenting techniques on how to build a strong partnership with your child's mother to provide a healthy family.
 
Legal Responsibilities: Fatherhood is Not for Babies
Objective - Increase the knowledge of child support debt penalties, legal responsibilities and rights as a father, with emphasis on your legal obligation concerning custody and visitation.

Reconnecting with Your Children: Incarceration to Responsibility Objective - Improve the ability to identify resources and techniques on how to reconnect with your children and become a productive member of the community.

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