Veterans Helping Veterans

Since 1998

Helping Veterans get boots on the ground and mission ready for life

Contact St. Cloud StandDown, especially in time of need, so we can assist you.

What Is ‘Stand Down’?

To ‘stand down’ means to relax after being ready or alert.


The origin of our use of the term comes from the Vietnam War, where soldiers would spend weeks in the bush, then return to a secure base camp to ‘stand down’ for three or four days at a time. These secure base camps in time of war provide exhausted combat troops safety, security, and a place to let their guard down. At these camps, soldiers were able to get showers, clean themselves and their uniforms, get warm meals, receive care, send and receive mail, and resume some sense of normalcy and camaraderie inside the wire of the camp.


St. Cloud StandDown, Inc. began in 1998, to serve as both a large one-day event to help homeless veterans, as well as a consistent organization to help homeless veterans across Central Minnesota or those leaving the VA or other help centers.

About St. Cloud StandDown

St. Cloud StandDown, Inc. is a private non-profit 501(c)3 Veteran organization.


Established in 1998, St. Cloud StandDown is administered by a Board of Directors consisting of Veterans and community representatives. St. Cloud StandDown is staffed entirely by Veterans and volunteers who donate their time.


St. Cloud StandDown assists Veterans in Minnesota and the surrounding area with resources and merchandise free of charge. St. Cloud StandDown provides food, clothing, accessories, footwear, job connections, and housing information and resources for Veterans in need, at risk, or homeless.


Our motto is VETERANS HELPING VETERANS. Especially in time of need, contact us and let us see what we can do to assist you.


The St. Cloud StandDown location consists of multiple operations, all providing complimentary resources and services to Veterans.


  1. StandDown Warehouse
  2. Lady Veterans Boutique
  3. Clifford Beck Veteran Resource Center
  4. Gentlemen’s Quarters Barbershop
  5. Frontline Food Pantry


 Every veteran is welcome to come to St. Cloud StandDown. Monday through Thursday, 10 AM – 2 PM, we have Veterans and volunteers here who are willing to listen to you, chat with you, or provide advice.


Our goal is to be the resource you need. The VA can heal you, but we can get your boots on the ground afterward. We’re your first stop for:


  • dry socks
  • a warm shower
  • a pair of boots
  • mentoring,
  • meeting space,
  • haircut,
  • camaraderie.


We help hundreds of Veterans every year. We’ve been here since 1998. If you need help, we’ll always be here – for you.


Presentation


If you would like more information about our program provided at your organizational meeting, to meet in person, or to get your questions answered via phone regarding St. Cloud StandDown, please give us a call.


If anyone in your organization would like to stop by to tour our facility, please feel free to come on in or arrange a designated time. We are here for you.

Volunteers

We rely heavily on our amazing cohort of volunteers to help us run the StandDown week-to-week, as well as make our annual event a success. These are just a few of the faces you might see when you stop by.


If you are interested in volunteering to work in the StandDown or the Boutique you are always welcome and appreciated. It takes a lot of good hands to keep the shelves looking full. Hours we need assistance currently are 10 AM – 2 PM, Monday to Thursday, except holidays.  If you can spare an hour or two we’d love to talk with you, no regular schedules required.

A woman in a volunteer shirt is holding a clipboard and writing on it.
A woman holding a framed certificate that says fred
A man is holding a certificate in front of an american flag.
Two men standing in front of an american flag holding a certificate
A room with tables and chairs and three quilts hanging on the wall.
A group of women holding a sign that says veterans helping veterans
A group of people holding a sign that says st. cloud stand down
A group of people wearing capital one shirts are standing in front of a truck
Two women holding a sign that says st cloud stand down veterans helping veterans
Three women holding a sign that says veterans helping veterans
Three women holding a sign that says
Three people holding a sign that says st cloud stand down
A group of people holding a sign that says
A bunch of cardboard boxes filled with various items
A man in a striped shirt is putting boxes on a table
A man in a green shirt is standing in a room full of boxes
A man wearing a hat and a jacket is smiling for the camera
A man is sitting in a chair with his arms crossed
A man in a wheelchair is surrounded by other men
A group of men are sitting around a table eating food
Two men sit at a table with a bottle of water on it
A man wearing a hat and a black coat is standing in a warehouse
A man is painting a picnic table in a parking lot
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Donations To St. Cloud StandDown

Every $1 donated to St. Cloud StandDown turns into $1.15 in products and services for Veterans in need. Since 1998, we have helped an average of 750 Veterans every year.


We are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, so check with your tax accountant on charitable contribution deductions. We have donation receipts if you’d like one, just ask.


St. Cloud StandDown doesn’t take any taxpayer money at the city, county, state, or federal level – we are entirely donation funded.


Through the estate of Clifford & Francine Beck, a generous gift was given to us – a campus for St. Cloud StandDown to work out of, rent- and mortgage-free. Clifford was a World War II and Korean War veteran. Cliffford was a huge supporter of St. Cloud StandDown over the years. That’s why we’ve named our center after them – the Clifford Beck Veterans’ Resource Center. Thanks to this generous gift, we can make every donated dollar go further.


We value our community partners and the generous donations they provide to help all Veterans.


Cash Donations


If you’d like to make a cash or check donation, we welcome you to stop by Monday – Thursday between 10 AM – 2 PM. You can also mail it in, but we’d love to meet you and say thanks.


Clothing Donations


We do also accept men’s and women’s lightly used and laundered clothing donations which can also be dropped off during our open hours. Please no furniture, electronics, medical equipment, or children’s clothes because we simply just don’t have the space to store these items.

Two men standing next to each other holding a framed certificate

Bob Behrens presented Butch Sherpen a plaque of appreciation for a donation of a side of beef and a whole hog.

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