CVSO Office Updates
HAPPY DECEMBER to all my favorite Veterans!
Wow. Just wow. What a year it’s been, and I’m SO GRATEFUL for each and every one of you. For this month’s edition of our newsletter, I wanted to do something special and give you a “Year in Review.” It’s hard to describe the magnitude of the work this team has done, but looking back reminds me that it’s rarely one or two big things that create community impact, it’s the many little things that add up. And wow, did they add up this year!
Over the past 11 months, our team has worked hard to continue educating our community’s veterans about their benefits and available resources. Each month, we focused on a different topic. Here’s what we’ve learned about together this year:
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January – VA Health Care
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February – Community Care
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March – Aging Veterans
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April – Applying for Disability
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May – Disagreeing with a Rating
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June – Women Veterans (Women Veterans Day)
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July – Survivor Benefits
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August – Education Benefits
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September – Mental Health (Mental Health Awareness Month)
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October – VA National Cemetery
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November – VA Health Care
We plan to keep this trend going in 2026 by continuing to share information on a wide range of topics. If you have suggestions for future newsletter topics, please reach out, I’d love to include them. You can contact me directly at 507-328-6358 or tiffany.canfield@olmstedcounty.gov.
I also want to share some local office statistics. Every week we see many people and answer many calls, but these numbers really put into perspective how hard the team works each day. They’re also a reminder that if we don’t respond immediately, it’s because we’re helping other veterans at that moment. Our goal is always to return calls and emails within 3 to 5 business days. If this isn’t happening, please reach out to me directly so I can help bridge any gaps.
Between January 1, 2025, and December 1, 2025, Olmsted County Veteran Services saw approximately 1,050 in-office visits and handled approximately 2,800 phone calls. SHEEESH! That means our mighty team of four had at least 3,850 opportunities to interact with veterans, their families, and their supporters just through our office alone.
In addition, throughout the year we attended many community events, including:
- Nursing home visits
- Korean War Veterans Breakfast at Grandma’s Kitchen
- Rochesterfest
- DAV Chester Woods & Oxbow Park Deer Hunts
- Multiple presentations to community partners (Mayo Clinic, OMC, Kiwanis Club)
- Launching a community partners collaboration meeting
- Resource fairs
- County collaborations (Adult Protection, Aging & Care, Crisis Response Team)
- Fire Station informational sessions
- Service organization meetings
- VFW, DAV, American Legion events
We even partnered with the Olmsted County Commissioners to support Operation Green Light, helping light up our community in green for Veterans Day!
And now for some HUGE news — according to the GDX report (the VA’s tracking system for benefits connected to each veteran/community), from 2012 through 2024, fiscal year 2024 was the highest-performing year Olmsted County has had in the past 12 years. That means more veterans in our county were connected to more benefits than at any time in over a decade. This is truly monumental. Our team is small but mighty — and the data proves it.
What an absolute honor it is to come to work every day with a team that has a heart for serving this community, and to do this work with you and for you. As we close out this year, remember the TV show Friends and the classic line: “I’ll be there for you.”
We look forward to everything 2026 has in store — and we’re excited to continue working hard for each and every one of you.
 Tiffany Canfield
Veteran Services Manager
tiffany.canfield@olmstedcounty.gov
Veteran Service Office Snapshot
October 2025
Total claims submitted to VA:
- Compensation: 148
- VA Healthcare: 23
- DIC: 1
- Burial: 16
- Survivor’s Pension: 2
- CHAMPVA: 1
- Records Request: 6
- Special Monthly Pension: 0
Points of contact with veterans (office visits, incoming mail, phone calls
returned, emails returned, etc.): 389
Veterans in office: 106
Outreach visits: 0
Total phone calls: 272
Average number of calls per day: 9
Average call length: 2 minutes and 44 seconds
Women Veterans Spotlight
December Mantra:
I am COURAGEOUS: I act bravely in the face of adversity.
Happy December Sisters!
I’m not really sure what I wanted this “Women’s Spotlight” to be when I started it. I’ve always had a love for writing, and found that sharing my thoughts here, on paper or screen, felt like maybe they’d resonate with someone else.
As a full time, working mother with 4 children, a veteran, a leader, a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a renegade, I find that many of us have more in common than what we really know. It’s interesting that as women, we often sit with ourselves in silence vs. reaching out to one another when we are going through it. I mean, we all have that one friend who we know will be there and hear us out and validate our feelings, but the world still feels big, and chaotic, and messy.
I find that when I share my thoughts here, the world feels less. Less chaotic, crazy, messy, less of a ‘big deal’. I keep coming back to the mantra “people over process” and I see this so many times over in all areas of my life. When we take time to prioritize our relationships with the people we interact with, things don’t feel so monumental.
When I look back and reflect on all the articles I’ve written this year- it’s apparent to me that the little things add up to be the big things. I see a few themes as I read through my past articles, “you made it through 100% of your bad days” “Embrace the Suck” “Small habits create big change” “Balance is BS” “What legacy do I want to leave behind”. All these themes encompass what we, as women, live through each day, week, month and year.
I hope you found some validation and value in these articles. I plan to continue sharing what’s in my heart and on my mind as we move into the new year. I encourage you all to end the year giving yourselves grace, because being a certified bad ass is hard work! Remember that bad moments don’t make bad days so enjoy this life we have.
I’m so very grateful for each and every one of you. If you have any interest in contributing to the Women’s Spotlight as we move into and through the next year, please reach out and let me know. I’d love to add the perspective of other women veterans in our community. I can be reached directly at: tiffany.canfield@olmstedcounty.gov or 507-328-6358.
Wishing you all the best as we head into 2026. LOVE YOU SISTERS!!
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-Tiffany
“You can’t raise the bar without raising a little hell”- so let’s raise some hell, shall we ladies??
Toys for Tots
Toys for Tots - American Legion Post 92
Attention Members of VFW Post 1215
Members of VFW Post 1215 in Rochester will now be meeting on the third Tuesday of the month. The buffet will start at 5:30 pm and the meeting will begin at 6:00 pm. Please visit this link to view the calendar: https://vfw1215.org/events/
VFW Post 1215 Bingo and Goose Hunt
Mark Ugland Memorial Roger Up Goose Hunt
December 5th - 7th
Friday: Bingo (see poster below)
- Happy hour at 4:00
- Registration & dinner begins at 5:00 pm
- Bingo at 6:00 pm
Saturday: Goose Hunt.
- Happy hour at 5:00 pm
- Dinner at 6:00 pm
- Memorial ceremony & check disbursement at 7:00 pm
VFW Post 1215 Membership Dinner
Army vs Navy Game
MN Wild vs Boston Bruins
FREE Christmas Dinner
Date: Thursday, December 25, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, or until food is gone
Where: Rochester VFW Post 1215
2775 - 43rd Street NW
VA Cost of Living Adjustment
Key Details of the 2026 COLA Increase
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Percentage Increase: The Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2026 is confirmed at 2.8%. This adjustment is designed to help veterans keep pace with inflation and rising living costs.
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Effective Date: The new rates will take effect on December 1, 2025, and veterans will start receiving the updated payments in their accounts on January 1, 2026.
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Who Benefits: All veterans with a VA disability rating of 10% or higher will automatically receive this COLA increase. This includes military retirees and surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
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Calculation of Payments: To estimate the new payment amount, veterans can multiply their current monthly payment by 1.028 (to account for the 2.8% increase). For example, if a veteran currently receives $3,831.30 at a 100% disability rating, the new payment would be approximately $3,938.58.
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Additional Considerations: Veterans with dependents may receive higher amounts, as the COLA increase also applies to additional allowances for spouses, children, and other dependents.
This COLA increase is crucial for maintaining the purchasing power of veterans' benefits amid ongoing inflationary pressures. Veterans are encouraged to review their VA ratings and stay informed about their compensation to ensure they receive the benefits they are entitled to.
Karen's Korner
Is there something you want to learn more about? If you have questions, more than likely, other veterans have the same questions.
We are always looking for new articles for this newsletter. If you have something you would like to know, or tell others about, please send me an email karen.applen@olmstedcounty.gov and I will do my best to assist you.
Veterans Appreciation Snowmobile Ride
The Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association and Minnesota Snowmobile Education and Advancement Fund will hold their 17th Annual Veterans Appreciation Snowmobile Ride on January 31, 2026 in Grand Rapids. The annual ride is provided as a token of appreciation to the veterans who have given part of their lives to serve all of us. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and lodging is provided to the attendees and snowmobiles are available to those that want to try snowmobiling but do not have one. Others are invited to come along and bring their own snowmobile. All veterans and active-duty military personnel are invited to attend this annual event. Over 140 veterans and their family members attended the ride in Grand Rapids in 2025. The 2026 registration form will be available on 12/1/2025 here: https://mseaf.org/
125 LIVE
Discover All That 125 LIVE Has to Offer!!
125 Live is a social and fitness facility for anyone 18 years and older. With 60,000 square feet, we provide various physical, social, and intellectual opportunities to engage our communities' minds and bodies. Our fitness members have access to cutting-edge equipment with access to over 100 fitness classes, two swimming pools, and multiple pickleball courts. Our social members get to enjoy educational seminars, interest groups, a billiards room, a pottery studio and much more.
We offer special programs for our veteran's, active-duty military, spouses, and partners including 10% membership discount and non $50 enrollment fee. To learn all that we have to offer, go to www.125livemn.org/schedules. We look forward to seeing you at 125 LIVE.
MDVA Health & Disability-Related Programs
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is responsible for administering and highlighting a number of health and disability-related programs for Minnesota Veterans and their families. These include benefits and services in the areas of disability claims, outreach, dental, optical, special needs, homelessness prevention, and health information on issues like depleted uranium and hepatitis c.
Please contact your local County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) for personal assistance and more information on these programs. Find your CVSO at www.macvso.org or by calling 1-888-LinkVet (546-5838) MDVA's one-stop customer service line for all Minnesota Veterans and their families.
ID Cards at the Rochester VA Clinic
VA ID Cards may be obtained at the Rochester VA Clinic by appointment only on the following dates:
January 15, 2026
March 19, 2026
May 21, 2026
July 16, 2026
September 17, 2026
November 19, 2026
Please call the VA at 1-866-414-5058 to make an appointment in Rochester.
*The Minneapolis VA Medical Center issues ID cards daily.
Click HERE for more information on veteran ID cards.
Warriors & Walleyes Outdoors
Warriors & Walleyes Outdoors is a wonderful organization that offers veterans and their guests guided hunting and fishing trips. With tremendous support from experienced guides, veterans who attend these events create fantastic memories.
Muzzle Loader Deer Hunt
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Location: Appleton, MN
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Dates: December 3 - 7, 2025
LOW Ice Fishing
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Location: Arnesen's Rocky Point Resort
Lake of the Woods, MN
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Dates: February 26 - March 1, 2026
LOW Veterans Fishing Event
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Location: Arnesen's Rocky Point Resort
Lake of the Woods, MN
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Dates: July 30 - August 2, 2026
- Forms must be submitted no later than January 1, 2026
For more information regarding any of the events listed above, please click below:
JOBS
Local Service Organization Meetings
For a full list of local organizations and meetings, please click on the blue button.
"To promote the interests and welfare of veterans, their dependents and survivors and to enhance their quality of life through counseling, claims assistance, education, advocacy and special projects."
2100 Campus Dr. SE, Suite 200
Rochester, MN 55904
507-328-6355
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