|
View as Webpage
December 2025
Letter from the Director
It has been a remarkable year at Veterans Services! We ended the year on a high note by handing out nearly 2,000 green light bulbs for Operation Green Light, thanks to a partnership with Consumers Energy. It was heartwarming to see landmarks around Kent County lit up in green to show support for our veterans including:
- The Amway Grand Plaza
- Grand Valley State University's clock tower
- The McKay Tower
- Woodland Mall
Special thanks to all the 35 municipalities in the county that took part by lighting up their buildings. We are also grateful for our partnership with the Grand Rapids Public Library and Kent District Library for helping us hand out light bulbs.
Over the last several months, we have also participated in community events by hosting informational tables at resource fairs and presenting to various organizations about our programs and services.
The end of the year is a time for us to all come together and enjoy time with families and friends for the holidays. I wish you a Happy Holiday season and look forward to what we can achieve in 2026.
Ryan Grams
Director
|
 |
Nominations Open for Veteran of the Year
The United Veterans Council of Kent County (UVCKC) is accepting nominations for Kent County Veteran of the Year. We are thankful for Joe Kline who won the Kent County Veteran of the Year award in 2024.
The council is looking for a veteran who is doing outstanding work for fellow veterans and the community. You have until December 30, 2025 to nominate a veteran. You can see a full list of rules and what you need to do to make a nomination on the UVCKC website.
|
Veterans Day Parade
 It was a cold night for the annual Veterans Day parade downtown Grand Rapids hosted by the United Veterans Council of Kent County. We are thankful for the volunteers, committee members, staff and members of our county administrative team for joining us. Our crew handed out candy, business cards and stickers to people of all ages. After the parade, we attended the council's Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park. We also are appreciative of our Accredited Veterans Services Officer Jeremy Binder who gave the keynote speech at the event.
Reaching All Kent County Veterans
Our Community Outreach Specialist has spent the last several weeks reaching veterans in Northern Kent County. The county has 35 municipalities that we are trying to reach. So far, we have stopped by the clerk's offices for Courtland Township, Grattan Township and Oakfield Township.
Our goal is to make sure no veterans in Kent County go without knowing about the services we offer to them and their spouses. If you are involved in one of these municipalities and would like us to highlight the benefits of Veterans Services, please contact us here.
|
Bringing our Services to College Campus
We are proud to partner with Grand Rapids Community College's Veterans Services to have an Accredited Veterans Services Officer (VSO) available for student veterans on their campus. Three of our staff members have set up inside their Veterans Services office to help students file or update a claim with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Our first appointment was so well attended, we are making a schedule to have a VSO there monthly.
|
Community Donations for Veterans
We are so thankful for the support of the Wyoming Lions Club for donating 30 backpacks full of essential items for us to hand out to veterans in need (both men and women). Each bag contains items like sleeping bags, hand warmers, flashlights, personal care products, socks, hats, gloves, scarfs, first aid kids and some food items. Our office has given them to the Century Avenue VA Clinic in Grand Rapids to distribute to veterans.
On Veterans Day, employees of Sun Title, packed dozens of hygiene kits for us to provide for veterans who are in need.
It's small gestures like this that really make a difference in the lives of the veterans we serve here at Kent County Veterans Services. We will keep these in our office to provide to veterans in need throughout the year.
|
Call for Veteran Artists
 It's hard to believe that we are already talking about ArtPrize 2026. We are continuing our partnership to sponsor veteran artists to take part in the art festival. The program provides mentorship, training and collaboration with veteran artists, to help create their ArtPrize piece. Funding from KCVS helps pay for registration and entry fees and reimbursement of supplies when a receipt is provided. The official application process will open January 15, 2026. Sign up to join the mailing list below to get notified when applications will start being accepted.
|
