More than a thousand volunteers are offering free medical, dental, social and legal services to homeless veterans this weekend in Pleasanton. The event, now in its twelfth year, is aimed at breaking the cycle of problems facing many Bay Area vets.

A giant tent city has been going up at the Alameda County Fairgrounds over the past week. The event, East Bay Stand Down, is named for the Vietnam era term for taking soldiers out of combat to meet basic needs.

Iraq war vet Mia Geurts is encampment coordinator this year.  She says Stand Down can be a profound and life changing experience with lasting impacts.

"We don’t just, ‘okay, see you later,’ and that’s it, so there’s follow ups."

Guerts also says people can be home from service a long time and still not really be home.

Organizers say intervention services continue long after the tents are struck.

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