GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Ahead of Veterans Day, Kent County will be glowing green to honor and support veterans and its all part of a nationwide movement called “Operation Green Light.”
The movement aims to honor veterans and connect them with resources. This is the third year that Kent County is participating.
“Seeing the green light, it may be a beacon of hope,” Reginald Farrior, a veteran service officer at Kent County Veterans Services and an Army veteran, told News 8. “Raising the awareness to the county to show your support by lighting your business green, lighting your home green and sharing your pictures of doing so.”
Farrior said he moved from Pittsburgh to Grand Rapids after his time serving. When he moved to the city, he said was homeless. But the services he was able to receive from Kent County Veterans Services helped him make a change that he hopes every veteran in the county will welcome into their lives.
“Being a veteran, to me, is just putting on a hat for a different fight and the fight never stops. You take off your uniform, you step into your community and now we are still fighting within the community,” he said. “For me, a veteran who was homeless in this county, it hits different for me to see these resources raising awareness for somebody who may be struggling.”
Operation Green Light takes place from Nov. 4 through Nov. 11 — the week leading up to Veterans Day. Businesses and residents alike can take part by replacing their outdoor lights with green bulbs.
Farrior said yard signs and green lightbulbs will be made available for free to anyone interested. Those interested can stop by the office on Fuller Avenue in Grand Rapids during office hours to pick them up.
“We are hoping that people will come in from wherever they are, letting people know in their community that they are veterans and it is a story that is hard to navigate or hard to deal with one psyche that they also come forward expecting help expecting that people are going to banish them or ostracize them from community,” he said.
The annual Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11 will conclude the initiative. It is set to start at 7 p.m. at Lyon Street and Ottawa Avenue in Grand Rapids.
KCVS can connect veterans with a variety of benefits, from disability claims to emergency rent assistance. To learn more, you can visit the department’s website.