San Juan County government has launched a community-wide call to action ahead of Veterans Day, encouraging households and businesses to display green lights during the week of Veterans Day as a visible sign of recognition for service members and an effort to highlight resources available to veterans and families. County facilities will be lit in green throughout November, and residents are invited to post images to social media using the hashtag #OperationGreenLight.

County leaders framed the effort as both a commemorative gesture and an outreach tool to connect veterans with local supports. By concentrating visibility in the days around Veterans Day, the county aims to make the public more aware of services administered or coordinated by county offices. The initiative is posted on the county website as a way to mobilize community participation and to provide a focal point for conversations about veteran needs.

The public-facing campaign has immediate local impact: green-lit public buildings create a shared visual signal across communities in the county, while enlistment of private homes and businesses increases the breadth of awareness. The social media component gives residents a simple way to participate and allows the county to measure engagement through the #OperationGreenLight tag. For veterans and their families, heightened visibility can translate into better knowledge of where to turn for benefits, counseling, health care navigation, and other supports administered by local and partner agencies.

Symbolic campaigns like this one can amplify outreach, but they also raise questions about how symbolic recognition is matched by policy and resources. Local elected officials and administrative departments are responsible for both signaling support and ensuring tangible services are available and accessible. Coordination among county offices, nonprofit partners, and regional or federal agencies is often necessary to address gaps in care, housing, employment, and health services for veterans. Residents who take part in the green light campaign may also look to county leaders for information on how the county measures and funds veteran programs over time.

Civic engagement is a central goal of the initiative: the county’s invitation to post photos encourages grassroots participation and strengthens community ties around veterans’ issues. For those who want more than a symbolic gesture, the county website provides a starting point for identifying local points of contact and services. Community members who wish to hold elected officials accountable can use this moment to ask county supervisors and department heads about budget allocations, service outcomes, and plans to expand or improve veteran assistance.

The county’s green light effort is a visible reminder that recognition and resources are distinct but complementary priorities. As the lights come on across San Juan County this November, policymakers and residents alike will have an opportunity to turn public solidarity into sustained attention to the concrete needs of veterans and their families.