Local veterans gather for food served at the 2024 Lumbee Tribe’s Veteran Stand Down event.
PEMBROKE —The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is hosting a Veterans’ Stand Down on May 24.
The Stand Down is an annual event that gathers various vendors, such as veteran services, social organizations, employers and businesses. The Blue Cross will provide meals.
Gary Jacobs from Veteran Services said that several helpful services will be present for veterans to use, such as disability claims and appeals with the Veterans Affairs (VA), and assistance with finding housing for those who need it. Robeson Community College will also be offering free haircuts.
“Whatever [the veterans] need services for,” Jacobs said, “it will be available to them. A big issue for some veterans is suffering from mental illnesses or considering suicide, so mental health services from the VA, alongside suicide prevention will be on site.”
According to the VA website, approximately 17 veterans per day passed away from suicide in 2022. Jacobs said he wants to remind veterans that they don’t have to go through struggles alone.
The Stand Down will take place at 10 a.m. in the Boys and Girls Club on 120 Youth Dr., and it is open to all veterans.
Contact Victoria Sanderson at [email protected].
