Guilford County officials announced that the county will participate in Operation Green Light through Veterans Day, asking residents and businesses to display a green light as a visible sign of appreciation for veterans and to raise awareness of local benefits and services available to them.

The county’s Veterans Services office is leading outreach for the observance. County Veterans Services Director Robert Shelly described the campaign as a symbol of hope that helps connect veterans to assistance. The initiative asks households and commercial properties to turn on a green exterior light as a prompt for neighbors and passersby to consider the needs of veterans in the community and to seek information on available supports.

Local officials framed the campaign as an awareness and engagement tool rather than a direct delivery program. By creating a simple, visible marker across neighborhoods and business districts, the county aims to make conversations about veteran benefits and services more accessible and immediate. For veterans who may be unaware of what is available to them, the presence of a coordinated, county-wide signal can serve as a low-barrier prompt to reach out to county offices or veteran-service organizations.

The observance is designed to be inclusive of both residents and businesses, allowing organizations of varying size to participate without a financial commitment. County leaders said the effort complements existing outreach by Veteran Services and local partners, reinforcing a public message that county-level resources are available and that seeking assistance is encouraged.

For Guilford County, the effort carries practical implications for civic engagement and service delivery. A broader public awareness campaign can generate increased traffic to veterans’ service offices and help county staff identify gaps in outreach and capacity. It also offers a visible measure of community support that local policymakers and service providers can use to evaluate the effectiveness of their communications and to prioritize follow-up resources where demand rises.

The Operation Green Light observance runs through Veterans Day, giving residents several days to participate and for the county to highlight services. By emphasizing a simple, community-driven action, county officials aim to both honor military service and strengthen connections between veterans and the county systems designed to assist them. The campaign underscores the role of local government in outreach and the potential for symbolic civic gestures to translate into practical assistance for residents.