From July 15-17, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine will provide complimentary acupuncture treatments and massages during "Stand Down," an annual event designed to care for homeless veterans and their families. Services will be provided at San Diego High School, giving the residents of San Diego an opportunity to interact with homeless veterans in the area and making them aware of a crisis that affects tens of thousands of people nationwide.
Stand Down is the brainchild of two Vietnam veterans, Robert Van Kuren and Dr. Jon Natchison. First held in San Diego in 1988, Stand Down has grown steadily over time, and is now conducted in more than 140 cities across the country. In addition to massage and acupuncture, homeless veterans are provided with a wide range of services, ranging from food and clothing to legal and mental health assistance, housing referrals, and job counseling. Last year's event in San Diego drew more than 9,000 attendees, with Pacific College providing nearly 800 acupuncture treatments and massages.
Treatments will be delivered by PCOM practitioners and volunteers on San Diego High's football field, located at 1405 Park Boluevard. For more information on this year's Stand Down event, call (800) 729-0941, or visit www.pacificcollege.edu.
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Our team of authors offer this paper (and this descriptive AT series) as a support for you as a professional, practitioner and member of the acupuncture community at large. We hope that it will serve to further the needs of acupuncturists everywhere and also act as a guide for those wishing to learn about Acupuncture Medicine – patients, healthcare decision makers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.