NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) – Veterans resources continue to pop up across the East as we get closer to Veteran’s Day.

Veterans organizations and community groups in New Bern partnered Thursday to host an annual Veteran Stand-down.

The event – held at the Army National Guard Armory – was designed primarily to benefit homeless veterans in Craven, Pamlico, Jones, Beaufort, and Carteret County.

However, this is something that is also open to veterans of all eras, active-duty personnel, family members, and caregivers. And Lovay Wallace-Singleton – one of the event coordinators. Says she’s thankful to see the turnout increase from one year to the next.

“I feel great about it I’m a retired veteran myself. I was a Navy air traffic controller. I come from a military family, and so putting on this event every year is a way of giving back to the veteran community. Last year we had 82 veterans that showed up, and this year we look like we’re going to break that record,” said Lovay Wallace-Singleton. Wallace-Singleton is one of the event coordinators and executive director of Veterans Employment Base Camp and Organic Garden.

Veterans were served free lunch from the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, and could even get free haircuts, and health screenings.