A Helpline for Those Who Serve

U.S. Air Force veteran Lauren Wright Kimball ’05, ’05 MS says it’s been the “privilege of a lifetime” to help create the Military and Family Helpline, a new resource for military veterans and active-duty personnel who live in Nebraska and Iowa.  

Kimball, who was promoted to chief strategy officer at United Way of the Midlands (UWM) in Omaha, Neb., after a decade with the organization, helped establish the support line in June 2024 in collaboration with the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs and Offutt Air Force Base. Military families can contact the helpline via call, text or the UWM’s 211 mobile app to speak with an operator, who can then connect them with a wide range of resources — such as assistance with housing, employment, finances, food, health care, childcare and more.  

“Individuals can receive important services on military bases that are often specifically designed for military life,” says Kimball, who served as a public affairs officer for the Air Force. “Plus, it provides a built-in community that understands their experiences. But for veterans, service members or families living off-base or needing multiple types of support, finding the right resources can be overwhelming. That’s where the Helpline comes in.”   

The Military and Family Helpline’s infrastructure is modeled after the UWM’s 211 helpline, which has served Nebraska and Iowa communities for decades as a single point of contact for thousands of community resources and government programs. But having a dedicated helpline for military families is crucial, says Kimball, noting that about 70% of active-duty military members do not live on bases.    

“It’s really about braiding those resources together … so families can thrive,” she says.  

“One veteran, a single parent, called in because his electricity bill was past due, and the food in his fridge had gone bad because he’d lost power,” Kimballs recounts. “We were able to get his electricity turned back on and also get some food for him and his family.” 

Kimball says the helpline fielded over 750 calls from veterans and active-duty personnel in January alone. The helpline was highlighted as a national policy recommendation in the Blue Star Families’ 2024 Military Lifestyles Survey and also received mention in the October 2024 issue of America’s Defense Communities magazine.  

“We’ve not only seen a tremendous impact locally but also among other communities across the country that are interested in replicating this model and personalizing it for their own community,” Kimball says.