Operation Stand Down-Central Texas Honored At Ball

Local nonprofit honored at Texas ball in D.C.
Killeen Daily Herald
By David A. Bryant
Herald staff write
Posted: Friday, January 20, 2017

What the Copperas Cove resident and former Army warrant officer didn’t know, however, was her organization was in for a treat. Toyota of Texas had a surprise in store for her — a brand-new custom Toyota Tundra pickup truck to help haul much-needed donations and provide rides for poor and homeless veterans to appointments at the Temple Veterans Affairs hospital.

Photo courtesy of Jack Barcroft
U.S. Rep. Roger Williams (R-Austin) introduces Joann Courtland, director of Operation Stand Down-Central Texas, during the Texas State Society Black Tie and Boots ball Thursday in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit was presented a brand new Toyota Tacoma pickup truck by Toyota of Texas to honor the nonprofit's work in helping homeless veterans.

WASHINGTON — When Joann Courtland, director of the Copperas Cove-based Operation Stand Down-Central Texas, was told to pack her bags Wednesday for a trip to the nation’s capital, she wasn’t quite sure what was going on.

She was told that U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, was flying her out to attend the Texas State Society Black Tie and Boots ball to bring attention to the work the nonprofit does to help homeless veterans and bring them back into society. So she packed her bags, hopped on a plane Thursday morning and flew to Washington, D.C.

“I just thought he would talk about our organization in front of fellow Texans and allow for people who wanted to sponsor or donate to do so,” Courtland said. “It was full of 10,000-plus folks from all over the state.”
read more here