(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Tuesday, Oct. 18, the El Paso County Homeless Veterans Coalition (EPCHVC) will host the 24th Annual Stand Down for Colorado’s Homeless Veterans, a charity event to support and provide assistance for homeless and at-risk military veterans.

From 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Colorado Springs City Auditorium, volunteers from multiple organizations will be on hand to provide both direct assistance and facilitate avenues of support to needy, at risk, and homeless veterans.

According to the EPCHVC website, since 1998, the Annual Stand Down for Homeless Veterans has been modeled after the Stand Down concept used during the Vietnam War to provide a safe retreat for units returning from combat operations.

At the event, veterans in need will be provided with clothing, boots, personal care items, VA medical care, a hot lunch, flu shots, assistance with DD-214 military service discharge documents, and more.

The Stand Down event provides assistance to hundreds of veterans every year, and the EPCHVC also provides year round temporary emergency assistance assistance to Veterans and their families who might be experiencing extreme monetary difficulties from sudden, unexpected but temporary life challenges.