ATHENS, Ohio — Athens Area Stand Down will assist veterans and people experiencing homelessness by distributing essential items and connecting attendees with social services Friday, Oct. 3.
The stand down will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Athens County Fairgrounds, 286 W. Union St.. For the first two hours, the event will be restricted to veterans with proof of service and will open to the public at noon.
Organizers hope to serve at least 200 individuals, according to the event website. They will provide coats, blankets, towels, hygiene products, first aid kits, and more. The stand down will also offer information on various social services, such as employment and housing assistance, mental health counseling, and addiction treatment programs.
Organizations such as Athens on Demand, Athens Public Transit, and the Athens County Veterans Service Office are offering free transportation to the event.
Those seeking to volunteer or donate may do so on the Athens Area Stand Down website. Items may be dropped off 5–6:30 p.m. Oct. 1 and 2 at the junior fair building at the Athens County Fairgrounds.
This will be the stand down’s 10th year in Athens County.
The first Athens Area Stand Down was held in 2016. Athens County Common Pleas Judge George McCarthy was inspired to organize a local stand down after visiting the Ross County Stand Down in Chillicothe. Athens County veterans had travelled to the event, and McCarthy wanted to create a similar program nearby.
Athens Area Stand Down’s goal is to equip people experiencing homelessness with “the resources they need to address their problems and rebuild their lives,” according to its website.
Stand down events get their name from the removal of wartime combat units from the battlefield. In the wartime context, soldiers are moved to safer, securer areas where they can focus on rest.
Within a civilian context, stand down events are community-focused intervention programs that bring people together while also giving crucial aid to those who need it.
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