Program designed to help Veterans

The fourth annual Smoky Mountains Veteran Stand Down will be held Oct. 5 to help support local veterans with essential care.

The program is designed to help homeless veterans, veterans at risk of becoming homeless or those who struggle to get by and cannot afford proper care.

President and Founder Mark Schuler spoke with WNEG, yesterday, to discuss the significance of the program, providing an emphasis that the program is at no cost for the participants.

We service at this one day event typically between 175 to 200 veterans,” Schuler said, “and we do that annually. It’s a community sponsored event and not affiliated with the government. Typically there are 60 or so agencies that come that day and provide all of their services for free.”

The agencies provide haircuts, dental care, optometry, access to veteran benefits, educational information, legal advice, housing, medical care, mental health care, and social services.

Because most veterans are unfamiliar with this program, the organization must go find the veterans to participate in the services.

“We have to go and find our veterans,” he said. “We provide transportations to all of our veterans and we’re willing to cross [state] boarders. The past couple of years, we have had veterans that come from Georgia, and Tennessee.”

The event will be held in Franklin, North Carolina from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; however, the agency will be providing free transportation for veterans in Toccoa, making it accessible to local veterans.

Any veteran interested in taking advantage of free transportation can contact Georgia Department of Labor’s Disabled Veteran Outreach Program Specialist Erika Rayford via phone at 706-282-4584.

The deadline to register for transportation is Sept. 29; however, note, there are limited seats available, so make arrangements before the deadline.