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Sherburne County approves travel for veteran service officer; office reports large rise in vulnerable veterans served
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Summary
Board approved out-of-state travel for the county veteran service officer to attend a national leadership summit. County veteran services reported large increases in workload and a targeted anti-fraud outreach campaign geofenced to Sherburne County.
The Sherburne County Board on Feb. 3 approved out-of-state travel for the county veteran service officer to attend the MACVSO Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., in late March. County veteran services staff presented statistics showing a marked increase in demand for services and outlined an anti-fraud outreach effort targeting predatory "claim shark" actors.
Larry, the county veteran service officer, told commissioners that overall new veteran contacts remained steady but case-file activity rose by "over 400" and phone calls increased by "almost 2,500". The office also recorded more than 700 walk-ins in the year, and staff highlighted a rise in assistance to homeless or vulnerable veterans from 9 in 2024 to 82 in 2025 — a change the presenter described as "like a 900% increase." Larry said those results reflected partnerships with HHS and outreach staff work.
Larry said the MACVSO summit travel will be fully paid by the Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers and that his role as the association's legislative chair will include meetings with national legislators to discuss protections for veterans, with a central focus this year on combating "claim sharks" — predatory actors who offer unaccredited services and charge large, unregulated fees. To raise awareness, staff previewed a short county-produced video geofenced to Sherburne County instructing veterans that filing benefits "never costs you any money" through accredited county services.
Why it matters: County veteran services described heavy workload increases and a tenfold rise in homeless/vulnerable veterans assisted year over year, prompting outreach and advocacy at the federal level. Board approval allows the county officer to represent Sherburne County at the national summit without county travel expense.
What’s next: The veteran service officer will attend the March summit; staff will continue local anti-fraud outreach and report back on program results.
