Santa Clara County veterans access essential services at fairgrounds event

(KRON) — The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds was bustling with activity Friday as veterans gathered for the free, three-day 2025 Veterans Stand Down event.

The event, which aimed to support veterans, offered a wide range of services including medical and mental health care, housing assistance, and employment support. Organized by the Veterans Office within the Social Services Agency in Santa Clara County, the event was described as a “one-stop shop” by director Darlyn Escalante.

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“Unfortunately, the sad truth is that many veterans are not fully aware of the range of benefits available to them,” said Escalante, who is the director of the Veterans Office within the Social Services Agency in Santa Clara County.

Escalante highlighted the comprehensive nature of the event, noting that it featured more than 100 tables offering critical services such as medical insurance support, disability compensation claims, mental health services, free haircuts, and food distribution.

David Coulson, a U.S. veteran, expressed his initial skepticism about the event, thinking it would be just a food bank or a basic VA resource center. However, he was pleasantly surprised by the variety of services available, including job-finding assistance.

Roy Arceroldan, another U.S. veteran, learned about the event from a friend and was impressed by the resources offered. He found the clothing section and mental health services particularly helpful.

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Escalante also addressed common misconceptions among veterans, such as the belief that having medical insurance disqualifies them from receiving VA healthcare benefits. She emphasized that VA healthcare is a benefit, not a premium.

Another misunderstanding she noted is the assumption that veterans cannot be undocumented, highlighting that some veterans who served in combat are indeed undocumented and deserve the benefits they earned through their service.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.

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