The 2020 Delta Veterans Stand Down will soon be underway, but this time, with all the necessary precautions and applicable CDC guidelines in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Set for 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, the eighth annual event will be held at the Washington County Convention Center 1040 S. Raceway Road.
Gulf Coast Veterans Advocacy Council co-chairman Kenny Magee has always described Veterans Stand Down as a “one-stop-shop” for veterans, but this year’s event will be in the form of a drive-thru.
GCVAC MS state director Tabbatha Magee said they and individuals from the AmeriCorps VISTA program will be practicing social distancing during the event but are ensuring veterans in the community as well as other community members will be serviced.
“We’ll be giving out non-perishable items and safety items from masks to hand sanitizers as well as clothes — everything we think a family would need,” Magee said.
In lieu of the veterans going around to the different vendors and picking things up themselves as they usually would, items will already be prepared and given to them when they drive through.
There will even be hot dogs and other snacks for veterans and other individuals to enjoy during the event.
“We’ll have Mayor Errick Simmons, senator Derrick Simmons, the fire, police and sheriff departments assisting us,” Magee shared. “We’ve also got a group of nurses coming to do COVID-19 testing…we had a lot of people who really wanted to chime in and help.”
Magee said she encourages the veterans, as well as community members to take advantage of the COVID-19 testing because it is free.
“The community is more than welcome to come and be a part of the event,” she reiterated.
Magee added that there will be a multitude of masks to provide and there will also be information provided to veterans as well as community members on what they can do to stay healthy during the pandemic.
Kenny Magee, GCVAC co-chairman, said the Gulf Coast Veterans Advocacy Council, which covers Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, is an all-volunteer group that was put together to help veterans connect with the resources available to them.
He said because several vendors will not be present to set up booths and confer with veterans, they have sent material to be included inside packets along with benefit information booklets from the VA which will be placed in the veterans’ “goodie bags.”
The pandemic has resulted in many vendors and representatives not being able to participate as they typically would, but there will still be a wide array of advantages being offered for veterans and community members alike to take on Saturday.
