Hundreds of veterans, their families and volunteers took part in a resource fair today in San Luis Obispo.
According to the president of the San Luis Obispo Veteran Services Collaborative, homeless veterans in San Luis Obispo County add up to around 250 to 300 individuals.
On Saturday, a veterans and families resource fair was held at the San Luis Obispo County Veterans Memorial Building.
“It’s a good support system for people who don’t have a support system,” San Luis Obispo Veteran Services Collaborative President, Alan Mckean said.
The fair offers veterans and their families resources, jobs and community.
“We do not have a lot of traditional resources that we would see in our larger communities, so it’s great when we can bring our entire community of resource providers together to one location, so that our veterans and families can get connected to the support they need and deserve,” Morgan Boyd, San Luis Obispo County Veterans service officer said.
Mckean says there are around forty three service providers at the event.
“They represent everything from the hospitality industry to the veterans administration, finance," Mckean said.
David Glidden retired from the Military after twenty six years and had difficulty with PTSD.
“I think it’s important to let veterans know there are services,” Glidden said.
“I reached out to the Veteran Center and others and I got the help I needed to get my life a little more organized,” Glidden said.
Glidden says he runs into veterans everyday who do not think they are entitled to services.
Hilario Colon served in the Marine Corps and says that he was homeless and in need of help until he met a Veteran Representative.
“I thought that I could do it on my own and I was very wrong. They made me realize that because I served in the Marine Corps they could help me,” Colon said.
“Get help because it’s available. You served your country, now let them serve you,” Colon said.
If veterans want to get connected and are not able to make it to the resource fair, they can come to the Veterans Memorial Building or call the San Luis Obispo Veterans Service Office at 805-781-5766.
