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.
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.
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.
Veterans And Volunteers At St. Cloud StandDown
St. Cloud StandDown Chain of Command and Board of Directors
Bob Behrens
President
Air Force
Nick Johnston
Treasurer
Army
Louise Echola
Board Member
Secretary
Jim Ellis
Director of Warehouse Operations
Marines
Caroline Stringer
Board Member
Community Relations
Alex Kempe
Board Member
Army
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 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.
Atterro-Blog-Volunteering
0209210925a
VOM Jan_Lester1
Megan Murphy | StandDown Board of Directors
Volunteer Ron Hauspe | Beautiful Quilts
Volunteer Capital One
Volunteer Capital One
Volunteer Capital One
Volunteer Capital One
Volunteer Capital One
Volunteer Capital One
Volunteer Capital One
Volunteer Capital One
Volunteer Capital One
Volunteer Food Box Packing | Jim, Nick, Kenny
Volunteer Food Box Packing Karen Nick Preston Jim Lester
Volunteer Food Boxes for Veterans in Need
Preston, Ken and Jim, were presenting LeRoy with a new electric chair
Volunteer John Scheel | Marine
Volunteer Lester Gilroy
Volunteer Lester | New Sailor in Town
Volunteers Al, Jim, Ken
Volunteer Vets Getting Lunch
Picnic bench2
Donations To St. Cloud StandDown
Bob Behrens presented Butch Sherpen a plaque of appreciation for a donation of a side of beef and a whole hog.
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.
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, household items, medical equipment, or children’s clothes because we simply just don’t have the space to store these items.
