A Safe Haven Hosts A Huge 6th Annual Military Veteran Stand Down For Over 500 Veterans!
A Safe Haven Foundation Hosted The 6th Annual Military Veteran Stand Down
Featuring Top Government Agency Leaders & Elected Officials, A Record Turnout of
Vendors, Volunteers & Veterans
Chicago, IL, May 20, 2019 – On Saturday May 18, 2018, A Safe Haven Foundation hosted the 6th Annual Military Veteran Stand Down held in Chicago’s North Lawndale Community. The event kicked off with a program that included a Color Guard Presentation by the American Legion, a Pledge of Allegiance, and a rendition of the National Anthem. Brian Rowland, co-founder made the opening remarks and Neli Vazquez Rowland introduced top government agency and elected officials including Joseph Galvan, Midwest Regional Administrator at U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Illinois State Senator Tony Munoz; Illinois State Representative La Shawn K. Ford; Jamie Rhee, Commissioner of Chicago Department of Aviation; Jose Alvarez Executive Director of Illinois Tollway, Doug Nguyen, Regional Communications Director of Social Security Administration, Bill Browne, Director of Cook County Veteran Affairs all spoke about initiatives within their legislation and agencies, respectively and the importance of supporting veterans, Mark Mulroe, A Safe Haven COO, opened the exhibition.
A record 88 registered vendors attended the military veteran stand down event which included healthcare, education, social service and housing providers and employers, the event provided access information and resources to over 500 military veterans in need from throughout the Chicagoland area. Over 80 volunteers were on hand to help make it a wonderful day with flawless execution.
The Stand Down provided all homeless military veteran attendees immediate access to a multitude of services through the generous support of Jesse Brown V.A. Medical Center and the U.S. Department of Defense; sponsorships from Boeing Global Engagement Fund, DAV Charitable Service Trust, Disabled Veterans National Foundation, Monarch Realty Partners, Amazon and KMA Companies; in collaboration with community stakeholders, partners, and committed volunteers.
“I really can’t thank everyone enough for bringing this event to life. There’s hardly a way to truly give back and thank our veterans after all they’ve gone through for us, but we do what we can, when we can, to show them that we care and that we’re here. A recent study found that over 40% of Chicago veterans who “come home” from service have no stable home to go to. At A Safe Haven Foundation, we want every person at-risk or in crisis to know that they are not alone; they have a place to turn to for help, where the end goal is getting them back on their feet with stable housing and employment, health services, and a restored sense of pride and purpose. We are grateful to all of the speakers, sponsors, ASH staff, and volunteers for helping us organize and execute on another amazing event and a special thank you to all of the veterans who came out to enjoy the day.” – Neli Vazquez Rowland, President of A Safe Haven Foundation.