DATE CHANGE: VA Standown Again Homelessness is Oct. 18,19 Published Aug. 27, 2012 By Chaplain Service 315th Airlift Wing JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The dates for the 2012 VA Standdown Against Homelessness have been changed to Oct. 18 and 19 at Armory Park in North Charleston. A North Charleston city park, Armory Park was once a National Guard armory. It is located just off East Montague Avenue on Mixon Drive. Since 1999, the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston and Goodwill Industries have team up to conduct an annual "Stand-Down Against Homelessness." "Stand-Down" is a military term meaning rest from routine activities. The annual Stand Down provides area homeless with a brief rest from the daily struggle associated with being homeless. Services traditionally offered to the homeless during the event include medical screenings, haircuts, job placement, and clothing vouchers from Goodwill Industries. A variety of other services are also available, including light breakfast, a noon meal and scheduled entertainment. Homeless men, women, and children from the tri-county area benefit from the event. VA Chaplain Service coordinates the donation of hygiene items and has asked that organizations in our community consider contributing to this project. We have sought assistance from veteran service organizations, civic groups and churches in the community. The overall goal for this year is to make 2,000 hygiene packs--this estimate is based on the number of persons who attended the event last year. Supplies can be bought in bulk in advance and then assembled into packs as a group project or individual items can be donated and these will be built into packs by other volunteers. If you have additional questions or would like information concerning kit contents or purchasing pre-packaged kits, please contact Chaplain John Painter at john.painter@va.gov (789-7235) or john.painter@charleston.af.mil (963-3653) .