Michael McNalty, right, chats with Eddie Greyfox Burgess of the Wellness Mobile on at a mobile stand-down Wednesday hosted by the L&A Veterans Council at Veterans Memorial Park in Lewiston. McNalty’s father was a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. McNalty, who was homeless for almost a year in Portland, attended the event to connect with people who may have known his father. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — The best way to prevent a veteran from becoming homeless is to intercede while the individual still has a roof over his or her head.

Waiting until veterans find themselves on the streets is simply too late, said James Bachelder, one of the founders of the organization Maine Veterans in Need.

“Our mission is to help the veteran in need,” Bachelder said. “It’s easier to keep someone in an apartment or a home than it is to find a home for someone.”

Bachelder’s group was among more than two dozen groups and organizations that gathered Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Park for the 2024 Homeless Veterans Stand Down, sponsored by the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services and hosted by the L&A Veterans Council.

For four hours, the organizations met with veterans — some homeless and others at-risk — to discuss outreach options, services available and support groups to assist in a variety of activities available to veterans across the state.

Veterans could also take advantage of free lunch, water and haircuts.

In military talk, the term stand-down is used when everything is shut down following an accident or if something bad happens, said Jerry DeWitt, chairman of the L&A Veterans Council.

The Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services helps get the word out on the stand-downs, connecting veterans with the many organizations and agencies involved, said Ryan Lorrain, the director of communications.

“Everybody does something a little different and everybody works together really well,” Lorrain said.

The Maine Veterans in Need organization works with a network of agencies to assist veterans. According to Bachelder, a former state commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the agency is the only one in Maine that answers the phone 24/7, especially vital on weekends when the other organizations are closed. The group will provide a veteran in need with a hotel room as well as gas and grocery cards until the vet can access services from the rest of the network Monday morning.

Bachelder said his group, which relies on donations, assists 20-25 veterans each month.

To combat the homeless crisis, a group from Boothbay is building small trailers as homes for veterans. Each unit has a bed, microwave, heater and a portable toilet. All the units need is a place to plug in the generator and access to a bathroom. In the future, the group hopes to build a community of a few dozen of the units, which would include bathrooms, a place to gather and a place to eat, and would allow organizations to come in and provide assistance to veterans at one location.

Karen Staples, the constituent services representative for U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, was making the rounds visiting with the various agencies and meeting any veterans present.

“We’re here to help the veterans anyway we can.” Staples said. “Sometimes the veterans have Social Security issues that we can help with. Any federal agency.”

Among the areas where assistance can be provided is helping veterans obtain discharge papers, which is often needed to access services.

Staples added that Collins’ office has seen a growing number of veterans during the previous six months.

Laurie Spaulding, the director of veteran services at University of Southern Maine, was there to connect with veterans about the benefits of the G.I. Bill in helping to pay for college education. Her office helps to administer the program, including at the Lewiston facility.

The Wellness Mobile, run by Chaplain Eddie Greyfox Burgess, is based in Lewiston. Burgess, with his distinctive blue 1965 Ford Fairlane, provides support for veterans and others who need housing, mental health support and treatment for substance abuse among other outreach services.

“You have no idea who is going to call you,” Burgess said.

The Maine Elks Association provided a free lunch consisting of a chicken salad sandwich, chips and a treat. The American Red Cross was providing toiletries and an emergency preparedness kit that included a poncho, first-aid kit, emergency water and a survival blanket.