Advocacy: A Two-Way Street for Veterans
As County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO), advocacy is at the heart of everything we do. We work on behalf of Veterans, their dependents, surviving family members, and caregivers— helping navigate benefits, file claims, and connect with services. But there’s an important truth that sometimes gets overlooked: advocacy works best when it’s a shared effort.
Simply put, no one can advocate for you better than you.
That doesn’t mean you’re on your own—far from it. Your CVSO is here to guide, support, and amplify your voice. But there are limits to what we can do, especially when it comes to your personal experiences with VA health care, benefits, or services. Those experiences—good or bad—carry the most weight when they come directly from you.
A recent VA news release noted that trust in the Department of Veterans Affairs has reached an all-time high, with 82% of Veterans reporting trust in VA services (https://news.va.gov/146004/veterans-trust-in-va-hits-record-high/). That’s encouraging news. But digging a little deeper, the same report shows that out of nearly 124 million surveys sent since 2016, only about 17.8 million responses were received. This Marine went through a few crayons and figured that’s less than a 15% response rate.
A large majority of Veterans aren’t responding to VA surveys which doesn’t automatically mean dissatisfaction—but it does mean silence. And silence doesn’t help improve systems.
If you’ve ever shared frustrations (or praise) over coffee at the local café, you’re not alone—but VA decision-makers aren’t sitting at the next table. They rely heavily on formal feedback tools like surveys sent by mail, email, or text. If those go unanswered, your voice— and your experience—doesn’t make it into the conversation.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to advocate for yourself is to take a few minutes to complete those surveys. Whether your experience was positive, negative, or somewhere in between, your feedback matters. It helps identify what’s working, what’s not, and where improvements are needed.
Your CVSO wants to hear your concerns too, but we are not VA employees and don’t have a direct pipeline to submit individual feedback into VA’s internal systems. That’s where your role becomes critical.
When you combine your voice with the support and guidance of your service officer, it creates a much stronger impact. Advocacy isn’t just about navigating the system—it’s about shaping it.
And the benefits of that effort don’t stop with you. Your willingness to speak up helps improve services for your fellow Veterans and for those who will come after you.
So, when the opportunity arises don’t hold back. Your voice matters more than you might think.
Brad Anderson and Melissa Crandall, Lake County Veterans Service Officers, 218.834.8326 or cvso@co.lake.mn.us
Karen Christianson, Cook County Veterans Service Officer, 218.387.3639, or karen.christianson@co.cook.mn.us
