CampV holds ‘Veteran Stand Down’ to raise awareness about homeless veterans in East Texas

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - CampV is holding its first-ever “Veteran Stand Down” event, which organizers say is an opportunity to raise awareness and provide help to homeless veterans in Tyler and East Texas.

This program is a nationwide program developed by the Veteran Affairs and will now be an annual event here in Tyler.

“East Texas cares,” CampV Veteran Services Director Jason Galusha said. “East Texas really cares about their homeless, they really care about their veterans, and they want to help us to assist and figure out this homeless problem.”

Forty-five different providers attended the event providing services and resources to the homeless Veteran population in East Texas.

“I was able to call them up and they were just like, ‘Alright what do you need? Alright that’s easy let me give you something else’” Galusha said about the communities involvement in the event.

“East Texas is the second biggest stronghold of veterans in the whole state of Texas only behind San Antonio,” Galusha said. “We have at least 200 homeless population here in East Texas, in Tyler Texas, and no one is able to tell us how many homeless veterans there are and that’s why we’re out here today. We don’t know how many, but we want to be able to take care of as many as there are.”

Veteran John Kadlek served in the United States Military for 24 years. In 2014, he medically retired because of a back injury.

Now, he serves those who he fought alongside as an outreach specialist for Wounded Warrior Project.

“Somebody helped me get to where I’m at today,” Kadlek said. “It’s my honor to be able to help other veterans be able to figure out their path to healing too.”

CampV said they will host the Stand Down every year “until there is no need.”

For more information on services and events at CampV, click here.

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