On November 8, members of DAYL’s Attorneys Serving Troops Committee, Aid to the Homeless Committee and Elder Law Committee banded together to assist homeless veterans at the annual Stand Down event at the Veterans’ Resource Center at the Dallas VA Medical Center. Stand Down is an annual event administered by the Department for Veterans Affairs that takes place at VA Medical Centers across the country to provide services to homeless and at risk veterans, including food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to many other necessary services. VA staff had requested that these DAYL committees staff a booth in the vendor’s section to provide basic legal counseling and provide information about pro bono services and legal resources for veterans. The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program joined committee members to perform client intake screenings and provide information about upcoming legal clinics. Committee members also assisted a number of attendees by helping them fill out simple power of attorney documents and physician’s directives on site.
The event started with a 9 a.m. opening ceremony that featured remarks from VA officials and Mayor Mike Rawlings, and committee members assisted veterans until the event closed at 2 p.m. Stand Down administrators were very pleased with the efforts of our three committees, noting that our booth was one of the most popular with attendees.
If you have any questions about Stand Down or other Attorneys Serving Troops Committee activities, please contact committee co-chair Jason Lemons.