Hundreds of homeless vets will gather on the old Fort Ord for services and camaraderie.

They may not have a home, but for 48 hours beginning Aug. 1, Monterey County’s homeless veterans will have a village.

“They’ve given for us, and it’s time for us to give back,” says Marlene Baker, program administrative assistant at Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County.

Baker speaks amid a swirl of volunteers coming and going from VTC’s headquarters in Marina, readying to build an 80-tent village in only 24 hours.

“The community has come out twofold for this,” Baker says. “I can’t say enough for how much the community has stepped up.”

The village is being built for the Monterey County Homeless Veterans 2014 Stand Down in Fort Ord, which for 48 hours beginning noon this Friday will offer homeless vets food, shelter and most importantly, a vast array of essential services they might otherwise be missing out on. That includes free medical and dental care, mental health counseling, help processing identification for the DMV and Social Security Administration, and even the option to stand before a judge to have any misdemeanors cleared from their record.

“We’re tried to run the gamut of what they need,” Baker says.

Unlike any other stand down across the state, that also includes their pets: The SPCA of Monterey County will be on hand to provide veterinary care for the veterans’ pets, and will also be distributing free pet food.

According the 2013 Monterey County Homeless Census, 229 homeless veterans reside in the county, 62 percent of them unsheltered. But according to VTC Board President Tom Griffin, that number is way off. By his count, there are between 900 to 1,200 homeless vets in the county at any given time, an amount he says has held firm for the last four years.

The stand down – the second ever in the county – is co-sponsored by VTC and the United Veterans Council of Monterey. Event organizers are expecting vets from both near and far: Some who have registered are even coming from Kansas, Idaho and Wyoming.

“It’s been a boots-on-the-ground campaign,” says VTC Executive Director William Bare, “and believe me, word of mouth spreads pretty quickly.”

About 300 vets have already registered, and Bare is planning for about 100 more to register on site, which puts the projected number of attendees on par with the army of 400 volunteers.

Eight bus lines throughout the county and beyond – from San Jose to Bradley – will transport vets on Friday morning to the site of the stand down at the old Fort Ord motor pool on Joe Lloyd Way.

After opening words from U.S. Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, and state Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, at 11:30 (“I told them to wear blue jeans, and that they’ll have 2 minutes each,” Griffin says), the flag will be raised and the vets will be welcomed in.

Before entering, the vets can check in their belongings to be held until they leave, as well as turn in any drugs, alcohol or weapons. After registration, they will be led to their tents and briefed by their “tent leader” about the all the services available on site, which also include free clothes, hygiene kits and showers.

“We’re pretty proud of it,” Baker says of the event. “It’s a chance to pay it forward.”