Page 9 - Desert Oracle April 2022

After Action Report - One-Day Open-Air StandDown Held 17 March 2022
Women Veteran Section

StandDown was held outside the Veterans Coliseum this year. Court Services and select service providers that
needed wifi were located inside the Commercial Exhibits Building. Hygiene kit distribution, showers, vet
services, and other service providers were located in the parking lot to the east of the Exhibits Building.

Cynthia Rice organized this year's
StandDown in keeping with COVID
restrictions the Exec Team have been
discussing over the past few months.
The Women Vet section was placed far
from the other service providers located
just outside the Commercial Exhibits
Building. Cyndy and her
granddaughters assembled backpacks
and rolling luggage carts for those
women veterans who were not in stable
housing before the event in order for this
to be a "grab and go" service.

As the women veterans come into the Women Vets area, each was screened to find out their housing status (see
the next page for the intake form used). There were 6 who self-reported they were homeless and they received
the most donated goods. There were 11 who were in transition (which means transitional housing or couch
surfing). There were 37 women vets who registered with our section who said they were in stable housing. In
addition, we did assist some visitors with some of the donations where there was no requirement to be a veteran
(used bras, select cosmetics, hats and excess feminine hygiene) products. The number of those helped totaled at
least 60 during this one day event. In February 2020 before the world shutdown for COVID, we served 217
women vets over the two-day "regular" StandDown.

Some of the items that weren't distributed included the following:
• Boxes of feminine hygiene pads that were taken to UMOM to be sent to the Ukraine for their soldiers.
Col. Blaes indicated that the soldiers frequently used them as emergency bandages in combat and
transported them to a location where medical and other supplies were being collected.
• Hygiene items like combs and shampoo were taken to the Women's Army Corps for use in their Blessing
Bags which are delivered to the VA Community Resource and Referral Center for homeless women
veterans.
• Clothing and various items transported by Tammie Smith, VFW Female Veteran Program Coordinator
and Homeless Veteran Coordinator. She works with Cyndy Rice to obtain items needed for military and
veteran families that come to the VFW for assistance.
• Shoes and other items that weren't needed were transferred to STUFF Thrift Store. They assist veterans
and have issued vouchers to Cyndy that may be used by women veterans in need.
• Materials that were shelf stable were transported to storage by Cyndy Rice for future use.

On the last page is the intake form completed as the women veteran arrived for services. We removed the
bottom portion of the form to "fill the order" and the women veteran maintained the top part of the form.