[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17999]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1945
                            STAND DOWN 2007

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Cleaver) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, we are all concerned about the troops. I 
am extremely concerned about the troops when they return home.
  On this past Saturday, June 23, I visited the 14th annual Kansas City 
Stand Down. This is a 2-day event, and it opened up in Kansas City on 
Truman Road, the road that Harry Truman's house sits on. It was open to 
homeless veterans. It provided a variety of services. This event is an 
opportunity for Americans to help Americans, Americans giving respect 
and dignity to their veterans who are down on their luck and in many 
cases homeless.
  It is believed there are approximately 1,800 homeless veterans in 
Kansas City, Missouri's largest city. This year 800 homeless veterans 
attended the Stand Down and received assistance from 500 volunteers. It 
was a wonderful opportunity to meet and visit with veterans who proudly 
served the United States of America, and I want to also say at this 
time it was a proud opportunity for me to thank the volunteers who 
forfeited their time to make a difference.
  One of the most popular contributors was Big Bubba's Barbecue, who 
fed a delicious barbecue lunch to over 700 people on Saturday. Grants 
were provided by Best Buy, At Home America, and the U.S. Department of 
Labor. These grants, combined with donations and countless volunteer 
hours, ensured that the Stand Down would be able to provide the 
necessary assistance to our homeless veterans.
  When a homeless veteran arrives, they know that they will be greeted 
with respect and provided with shelter, shoes, showers, haircuts, 
blankets, clothing and hygiene products. Each veteran is given medical 
health screenings, eye care, dental care and if the veteran does not 
have identification, they are provided with a picture ID, assistance 
with legal problems, VA benefit counseling, general benefits 
counseling, including Social Security, food stamps, local health and 
human services, substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling, 
employment services which include job referrals, employment counseling, 
as well as housing services.
  I wish the entire Nation could have seen Kansas City turn out to pay 
respect to their veterans and to provide them with care. I truly 
appreciate and congratulate the Vet Center, AmeriCorps Vista volunteers 
and the Stand Down steering committee for a job well done. If this is 
done all over America the way it was done in the Fifth District of 
Missouri, our veterans will know that we really do care.

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