Standing in Solidarity with our Veterans: Operation Greenlight
County Courthouse Lights to Shine Green Through November 13
Lake County, CA (November 9, 2022) – Each Veterans Day, we acknowledge and celebrate the sacrifices of people in our communities, and across the nation, who have chosen to serve in the United States Armed Forces.
On Tuesday, November 8, the Lake County Board of Supervisors voted to join Operation Greenlight, a nationwide effort to highlight veterans and the challenges they face:
https://www.naco.org/resources/signature-projects/operation-green-light-veterans
Through November 13, the Lake County Courthouse will shine green each night, a visible statement we stand in solidarity with our veterans and other participating jurisdictions nationwide.
Lake County has one of the highest veteran populations, per capita, in California. Services are available to support veterans and their families with management of housing, medical, and mental and behavioral health-related concerns.
The Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic, located at 15145 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake, offers primary care and specialty health services, including audiology, podiatry, outpatient mental health services. Rideshares are accessible to those referred to Bay Area facilities for a higher level of care. For further information, call 707-995-7200.
The Lake County Veteran Services office assists veterans, their dependents, and survivors in obtaining federal, state, and local supports. Lake County veterans can get information regarding entitlement to benefits, as well as advocacy and professional assistance. This can include support accessing compensation due to injury or diseases, dependent allowances, admissions to State Veterans Homes, medical and dental benefits, and other services.
Lake County Veteran’s Services Officer, Saul Sanabria, can be reached at 707-263-2384, or by email, at Saul.Sanabria@lakecountyca.gov.
The Employment Development Department of California (EDD) also has a Consolidated Veterans Representative, Chris Taliaferro. He encourages business owners to hire veterans, and helps veterans gain employment.
Taliaferro has also been instrumental in recent and ongoing efforts to house Lake County’s unsheltered veterans. He appreciates the mental health and other hardships many veterans face, and how being out in the elements can complicate many aspects of daily life. Taliaferro has played an important role in Stand Down and Vet Connect events around the county. These events, held throughout the year, offer connection to services, including non-veteran services, access to food and clothing, and camaraderie.
Taliaferro can be reached at 707-262-3111 or Christopher.Taliaferro@edd.ca.gov.
This Friday, November 11, please join in celebrating all veterans. Their sacrifice, bravery, and service is vital to our great country’s continued work to become a more perfect union.