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September 2025
Letter from the Director
I hope you had a wonderful summer in West Michigan and were able to enjoy some time at the lake!
It’s been a busy season in our Veterans Services office. Our accredited officers, clerks, and emergency relief coordinators have been hard at work assisting veterans and their families. In mid-July, several staff members traveled to Louisville to attend the annual National Association of County Veterans Service Officers conference. Meanwhile, our outreach team has been building partnerships with organizations like the Kent District Library and the Grand Rapids Public Library to connect with even more veterans across the community.
This summer, we also introduced a new way to track our impact: a large map of Kent County displayed in our office. With it, we’re keeping tabs on our reach in every city, village, and township, with the goal of connecting with every community by the end of this year and into early 2026.
We’re excited about what’s ahead and look forward to a productive fall season!
Ryan Grams
Director
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Summer of Outreach
 This summer, our team has attended more than a dozen events across Kent County to connect with veterans and their families. We’re especially grateful to the Grand Rapids Housing Commission for inviting us to several of their events throughout the season.
For the first time, we hosted a booth at the Kent County Youth Fair, where we were able to meet with attendees over three full days. We also began joining the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 18 from Wyoming at their ice cream socials in the Michigan Veterans Home. Our staff has truly enjoyed visiting with the veterans there and helping bring smiles to their faces.
In addition, we had a booth at the Kent County North Community Fest, where we distributed 180 green light bulbs in support of Operation Green Light, along with firearm locks to promote suicide prevention.
Mark Your Calendar: ArtPrize Opening Ceremony
We’re proud to once again partner with Art for Honor to transform Veterans Memorial Park in Grand Rapids into a showcase of creativity, featuring works from 27 veteran artists during ArtPrize.
Join us for the Opening Day Ceremony on Saturday, September 20, at 10:30 a.m. The event will kick off with a procession by the Patriot Guard motorcyclists, followed by guest speakers, including Medal of Honor Recipient James “Doc” McCloughan.
The celebration will be fun for the whole family including face painting, balloon art and live music. We hope to see you there!
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New Community Resource Guide for Veterans
Our office has created a new and improved Community Resource Guide for veterans. The guide will help veterans and their families find contact information for healthcare services, emergency assistance, home repairs/maintenance/adaptions, legal assistance and employment.
You can download this free guide right to your computer or phone by using the button below. If you would like a paper copy, you can stop by our office during normal business hours to pick one up.
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Apply For The Kent County Veterans Services Committee!
Are you looking for ways to get involved in your community and let your voice be heard on veterans issues?
Our Board of Commissioners is seeking residents interested in serving through appointment to its Veterans Services Committee! There are currently FOUR open positions on our committee and important roles like these offer meaningful opportunities for residents to help shape county policies and make a real impact.
Qualified residents may learn more and apply by completing an online account and submitting an application here. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2025.
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 5th Annual Female Veterans Appreciation Banquet
More than 120 people attended our Female Veterans Appreciation Banquet in Grand Rapids on Thursday, August 14! It was a wonderful time, and we were excited to see so many come together to honor and celebrate our female veterans.
At the event, every female veteran in attendance was recognized and our guest speaker, Rachael Tax, a U.S. Army Veteran, delivered an inspiring speech that earned a standing ovation.
We also gathered feedback from attendees, and one quote that truly stood out came from a female veteran:
"It was nice to be recognized for our gender. When serving we are constantly trying to not be noticed for our gender, and always working to make sure we perform our military duties in every way as well or better than our male counterparts. Attention for our gender is seldom of a positive nature."
If you want to stay up to date with future events happening, keep an eye on our community events calendar.
Apply for 2026 House Cleaning Program for Disabled Veterans
Applications are now open for the 2026 House Cleaning Program for disabled veterans and their spouses in Kent County, made possible through a partnership between our team and Riverside Cleaning Co.
Services include: Vacuuming & mopping, dusting and cleaning all surfaces, exterior of appliances, windows, emptying trash, cleaning bathrooms, and front of cabinets.
This program was extremely popular last year, so if you or someone you know could benefit, we encourage you to apply here. We will review applications on a first-come, first-served basis. You must meet certain criteria to apply. For more information, call our office at 616-632-5722.
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Customer Service Surveys
We have added a QR code and additional signs throughout our office to make it easier for veterans and their families to take our Customer Service Survey. Our staff prides itself on excellent service and we took this step to make ourselves more accountable. We have received 25+ responses so far and hope to grow that number even more. Here are a few quotes we have receieved:
"Theresa was outstanding in helping me increase my quality of life by getting me additional help from the VA. She is a blessing."
"Jeremy was outstanding, went out of his way to help me. He repeated questions for me because of my memory loss - called me at home to check on me. Jenna the clerk greeted me as soon as I walked in the door she's very kind - I appreciate the service and the kindness of the staff at this facility."
If you have been to our office but didn't take our survey there is an online link to take it from your phone or computer. All responses are anonymous. We take great pride in feedback and delivering the best customer service.
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Operation Green Light Returns for 2025
We are excited to continue Operation Green Light in 2025. The mission is simple: to light our buildings and homes green between November 4-11, 2025 leading up to Veterans Day to show support for our veterans in Kent County.
We have partnered with Kent District Library which has 500 bulbs that will be handed out at its 20+ locations around the county. By shining a green light, county governments and our residents will let veterans know that they are seen, appreciated and supported.
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