Veterans Helping Veterans
Since 1998
Helping Veterans get Boots on the Ground and Mission ready for Life
Contact the St. Cloud StandDown, especially in time of need, so we can assist you.
Since 1998
Contact the St. Cloud StandDown, especially in time of need, so we can assist you.
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.
Starting in 1988, two Vietnam veterans – Robert Van Keuran and Dr. Jon Nachison – along with the Vietnam Veterans of San Diego, created the first Stand Down event as we know them today to help homeless veterans.
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.
President
Air Force
Treasurer
Army
Board Member
Secretary
Director of Warehouse Operations
Marines
Board Member
Community Relations
Board Member
Army
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 for a hot meal or clothes.
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.
Every $1 donated to St. Cloud StandDown turns into $1.15 in products and services for Veterans in need. For the past 24 years, 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.
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.
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, household items, medical equipment, or children’s clothes because we simply just don’t have the space to store these items.