‘Stand Down’ Event Shows Power of Local Support for Veterans
By JOSHUA YOUNGQUISTONEONTA
The second annual “Stand Down” at the Oneonta Veteran’s Outreach Center drew hundreds of veterans, families, and community members on Saturday, August 22—an overwhelming turnout that organizers say reflects both the need in Otsego County and the strength of the community rallying behind those who served.
OVOC Chief Administrator Gary Flaherty and Supportive Services for Veteran Families Case Manager Kerri Lincoln said the number of new faces was one of the most striking parts of the day.
“We had over 300 people,” Flaherty said, noting that many were first‑time visitors who had never engaged with veteran services before.
Lincoln added, “There are so many community organizations and people…that really want to help and just don’t really know how. This office provides a place for people to do that.”
The Stand Down—rooted in a military term for rest and recovery—has evolved nationally into a grassroots effort to connect homeless and at‑risk veterans with essential services. As Jennifer Stiletto Smith, community engagement and partnership coordinator for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, explained at the event, “Stand downs are really meant to be a hand up, not a hand out.” They offer food, clothing, health screenings, benefit counseling, job support, and referrals to housing, mental health care, and medical services.
“We’ve already been able to arrange for 10 veterans in this county to be contacted next week to get enrolled with primary care,” Stiletto Smith said, emphasizing the life‑saving importance of early engagement: “Sixty percent of the veterans who die every day by suicide are not engaged with VA care.”
If Saturday proved anything, it was that Oneonta shows up for its veterans. Donations poured in by the carload—clothing, food, household goods—and local businesses stepped in with support. Stewart’s Shops donated donuts, Starbucks provided coffee, Casella Waste Management handled garbage removal and Heller’s Farm in Bainbridge continued its weekly tradition of delivering fresh produce.
