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Homeless Veterans Find Help At Target Center Stand Down

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO)--- The Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V) has partnered with the Minnesota Lynx to help homeless veterans.

MAC-V's annual Stand Down took place Tuesday at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. An entire level of the stadium where the Lynx play was filled with service providers focused on helping veterans get back on their feet.

Target Center was specifically chosen due to its close proximity to the downtown homeless population, according to Neil Loidolt, the CEO of MAC-V.

Once inside, veterans had access to a wide variety of services.

Housing and employment services, as well as chemical dependency and recovery groups were just a few of the many services available. Veterans could even get a haircut while waiting for lunch.

In the military, a stand down represents a pause to check on an individual or team readiness. This stand down event was no different, as veterans came to check on their brothers and sisters in arms.

"It's always important to meet one another, that way you got someone besides yourself there," said Carolyn Padilla, an Army veteran.

It's estimated that one percent of the veterans in Minnesota, or close to 4,000 people, will experience an episode of homelessness this year.

MAC-V has helped more than 10,000 veterans and their families over the past 27 years.

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