Steve Aquiningoc awoke Sept. 28 and made his way down to the Sheridan Park Community Center in Bremerton.
A Vietnam-era Army veteran, Aquiningoc knew that at the Veterans Stand Down, he’d be able to reconnect, find some good food and perhaps a few other services he might need.
“It means a lot to come here,” he said. “I’m low income, so I come here for food and other things. Everything’s so expensive.”
Aquiningoc described himself as a loner. He choked back tears as he spoke. “It feels like I’m a part of something when I’m here. It makes it easier, because other people understand.”
The Stand Down, held in spring and fall, each year is an effort of Kitsap Area Veterans Alliance and Kitsap County Veterans Advisory Board.
Richard Becker, Veterans Program coordinator for Kitsap County, said, “We try to target services to our indigent and homeless, but all veterans are welcome.”
Matt Shillingburg, an Army veteran as well as a KAVA board member and member of the Alliance and the VFW said Kitsap has about 80,000 active duty veterans. “We have a number of vendors here, and a lot of services that will help these people out.”
Shillingburg said services range from food, clothing and toiletries, to assistance with housing, Veterans Administration services, employment help and others.
He said it’s the 34th Stand Down the county has had, and about 160 were served at the last one. “And so many people volunteer their time, efforts and even items for vets who need them.”
Abraham’s House Charity of Bremerton occupied a whole room filled with donated clean clothes for people to take, including a large number of sweaters, coats and sweatshirts as fall has come. “We love doing it, and we come every six months,” said Roman Munger, whose parents run Abraham’s House. “It’s just a token, and a chance for us to give back to those who’ve given so much to us.”
In the back of the community center, Jamie Degooyer runs the Women’s Circle, “We make a space here for women who are veterans and get a lot of donated items specifically for them.” Degooyer, a Coast Guard veteran, said she joined KAVA in 2017 when they started participating in this event. “We’ll provide help for women who don’t really want to talk to men about what they’re going through. We go out there and escort them back here, to give them the help they may need. We wanted to make sure we were giving back to all veterans.
Diana Dye-Weber, owner of Coral Reef Salon in Port Orchard was offering free haircuts like she does at all of the events. “My dad’s a veteran, and I grew up in a military town and when you do, you grow up with an appreciation of military service,” she said.
Paul Cookson, a Vietnam vet, was having his long white hair trimmed. “This is just a helpful thing to keep in touch with other veterans, and to see what’s going on,” he said. “It tells you a little bit about what the community cares about, too.”
Jim McKenna, the Stand Down Committee chair, was standing with David Pittman of the American Legion Post 109 in Silverdale receiving a $1,000 check donated to the Stand Down Committee.
McKenna said the event is vital to the veteran community. “I was a Vietnam vet, and I was not welcome back,” he said. “My family welcomed me back, and my neighborhood, but it was 1969, and the country was being torn apart.”
McKenna said all veterans have issues that only other vets understand. “A lot of vets won’t speak to anyone but another vet, and so a lot of the people here, even the volunteers, are veterans. It’s a comforting place to come and be heard.”
Diana Dye-Weber cuts veteran Paul Cookson’s hair at the Stand Down event.
