Veterans Stand Down Gives Services, Support to Almost 400 Military Vets

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Almost 400 veterans received access to vital services during the 12th annual Santa Barbara County Veterans Stand Down in October.

At the one-day event at the Santa Maria Fairpark on Oct. 26, veterans had access to almost 100 different services, including legal services, mental health counseling, clothing and haircuts, addiction treatment, dental screenings and more.

Of those attending, 79 classified themselves as homeless – a decrease of about two dozen from the previous year. In 2018, 171 veterans classified themselves as homeless.

This year, 59 women veterans attended, and none classified themselves as being unhoused, according to 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, who founded the event and is aided by coordinator Sandy Agalos and a volunteer committee of about 100 people.

“The reason why we put Stand Down together is to make sure that homeless veterans, and all our veterans, get reconnected to the community,” Lavagnino said. “The success is not on a larger number, the success is if the number continues to get smaller.”

Each veteran arriving was greeted by fellow veterans from the American Legion Riders Orcutt Chapter 534. They were then paired with an active duty Vandenberg Space Force Base escort. Vandenberg members carried the veterans’ bags and other items and shared stories throughout the day. Veterans ranged in age from early 20s to one 95-year-old.

This year, 529 people volunteered for the effort, including 179 active duty representatives from Vandenberg. The “Team Vandenberg” crew assisted with staging the event from beginning to end; greeted veterans at the arriving buses; served food in the meal line; worked in the convention center restocking and sorting items and more, Lavagnino said.

The Santa Barbara County Cattlemen’s Association provided the beef for the barbecue luncheon and the Santa Maria Elks Lodge prepared breakfast and lunch for veterans and volunteers. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians donated shuttle transportation for veterans to the Stand Down.

During this year’s event, 450 Direct Relief International backpacks with survival items were handed out; 73 veterans received behavioral health assistance; numerous vets used the Pet Zone for grooming and vaccinations for their animals and 39 people had vision screenings. The Legal Aid Foundation assisted 16 veterans and Good Samaritan Shelter worked with 132 veterans for rapid rehousing/homeless prevention and case management. Funded by a federal grant, 61 homeless veterans received 106 pairs of boots and shoes, assisted by Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services volunteers.

No taxpayer funds are used for Stand Down. Financial supporters included Hugh Rafferty, Midcoast Veterans Alliance, Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary, Raytheon, Dignity Health, PG&E and more.

During a recent debrief session for committee members, Lavagnino presented awards for Volunteer of the Year and Organization of the Year.

Volunteers of the Year are the Santa Maria Elks Lodge, including the breakfast led by Sharon Boling and barbecue team led by Robert Dorado.

“They have supported Santa Barbara County Veterans Stand Down community in so many ways,” Lavagnino said. “They’re very passionate about supporting veterans, not only just at Stand Down but throughout the entire year … Thank you for your commitment to veterans.”

Dorodo said the Elks is “quintessential when it comes to volunteering. We’ve been doing it about 97 years when it comes to this Valley. It’s something that we really take to heart and we put first in all accounts, especially veterans.”

The Elks Lodge Veterans Committee also did four “mini-Stand Downs” this year at the lodge, Boling said.

“We had very successful turnouts,” Boling said. “They appreciated it.”

The Organization of the Year is the Santa Maria Wal-Mart.

“There is one organization that has consistently demonstrated commitment to our local veterans in the community and that is our local Wal-Mart,” Lavagnino said. “They have provided a platform for our online donation registry and allowed Stand Down volunteers to have space in front of the Santa Maria and Lompoc stores to conduct annual clothing and hygiene collections.”

The main organizer of the Wal-Mart clothing registry throughout the year is Primo Heredia, who works at the Santa Maria store and is supported by its leadership.

For more information about the Santa Barbara County Stand Down, visit http://sbcountystanddown.com. Financial donations or donated gift cards are welcome throughout the year, with a Wal-Mart link available on the Stand Down webpage.

The next Stand Down will take place on Oct. 25, 2025 at the Santa Maria Fairpark. Donations are needed for next year, including new clothing. The purchase of gift cards for Stand Down is encouraged, allowing organizers to purchase items where the needs are the greatest. The donation link is available all year.

Contact Stand Down Coordinator Sandy Agalos at sandy.agalos@gmail.com for more information.