San Francisco, CA — The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office will help scores of homeless and low-income veterans clean up their criminal records and lift outstanding warrants and fines Saturday at East Bay Stand Down, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced today.
The community event, held every two years at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, provides medical, dental and legal help to approximately 400 veterans in need. The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office has been participating in the event for more than a decade. This year’s Stand Down event runs Thursday, Sept. 11 through Saturday, Sept. 13.
“San Francisco’s public defenders are honored to serve those who served our country. We can help veterans get instant relief from many legal problems, including cleaning up their criminal records so they can get jobs, housing, or college financial aid,” Adachi said. The public defender’s office expects to serve 50-100 veterans Saturday.
Nationally, it is estimated that there are more than 250,000 needy and homeless veterans on the streets on any given night. Within the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that there are more than 7,000 needy or homeless veterans. In the Northern California area, estimates are as high as 15,000 or more. A significant number of these veterans have had little or no contact with the VA for either monetary or medical benefits.
For more information on East Bay Stand Down, please visit eastbaystanddown.org
