Illinois Daughters of NSDAR Assist at Chicago Summer Standdown

Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter and District IV of the Illinois National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution assisted at the Summer Chicago Standdown, June 9 and 10 held at the General Jones Amory.

Six hundred eighty-six homeless veterans were provided with the following services: Medical services, Optical services, Housing information/applications, VA benefits information, Department of Human Services and Social Security information, Employment opportunities, Legal assistance, Haircuts, Entertainment and Recreational activities, Women's services, and Delicious meals and food to go.

Two thousand three hundred pairs of socks were collected and distributed by the District IV Daughters with Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter contributing one thousand three hundred seventy-five pairs. Additionally, four hundred hotel amenities such as soap and shampoo were also distributed to the homeless veterans.

Chicago Standdown is an event held annually in the Summer and Winter as an intervention to bring homeless veterans together in a single location to access resources and supplies needed to begin rebuilding their lives. The first Standdown was developed in 1988 in San Diego by two Vietnam veterans Robert Van Keuren and Jon Nachison and has spread across the country.

Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter will be collecting socks for the Chicago Winter Standdown to be held in November 2017. We would like the community to join us and help us surpass our number of socks from the Summer Standdown. If you are interested in helping the Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter in collecting socks, please contact us as http://ildar.org/chapters/anselbrainderdcook/. If you are willing to help with donations or volunteer for Chicago Standdown, please contact http://www.chicagostanddown.org/.