The National Stand-Down for Homeless Veterans is an annual event that honors and seeks to help homeless veterans. Each summer in San Diego, acupuncturist Mitch Lehman directs and organizes the National Stand Down for homeless veterans, held by Integrated Medicine Services. This year the Stand Down will be held July 17-19.

During times of war the term "stand down" referred to the time of rest and recovery that exhausted combat units required before re-entering the fray. Today, Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation's estimated 275,000 homeless veterans to "combat" life on the streets. Each year, hundreds of homeless veterans attend the Stand Down.

These resources include medical care, legal services, substance-abuse recovery programs, employment services, spiritual care, dental and chiropractic services, and even reiki and hypnotherapy. Food and safety are at the top of the list. Professionals in each field provide these complimentary services. Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego has participated in Stand Down for nine years, and this summer, PCOM will contribute an estimated 30 student and supervising practitioner volunteers per day to perform acupuncture and massage for the veterans.

This is a unique opportunity for PCOM volunteers to show compassion while simultaneously demonstrating their professional skills and spread awareness of the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

For more information on PCOM's involvement with Vietnam Stand Down, please call (800) 729-0941.

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