Many transitioning military members and veterans are skeptical of organizations that claim to give them assistance in the civilian world. The military community has been taken advantage of, so their guards are up when it comes to veteran assistance programs.
Michelle Lang, founder of nonprofit, Veteran Help Point, is a military spouse. She and her husband had their share of coming across false promises when he retired from the military.
Lang was recently interviewed by KP, on The Morning Formation Podcast, and shares what is was like when her husband retired from the military in 2019.
“Whenever we got to the outside world, to civilian world, it kind of really, really fell apart for us, we were met with some unexpected challenges…I didn't know who to turn to… And the organizations that we reached out to are the ones that denied him care.”
She soon realized there was a lack of local resources for veterans which left her feeling alone and frustrated. This lead Michelle to want to do something about this, not only for her family but for the whole veteran community.
In 2021, Michelle started the nonprofit, Veteran Help Point.
VHP is more than just a database of general resources. This organization is dedicated to providing local and regional resources to Veterans.
Michelle wants Veterans and Transitioning Military to know that VHP is not just a one-eight hundred number and they definitely do not take people’s money. This organization is all about helping veterans find vetted, local resources.
In the interview, she explains the type of resources VHP focuses on.
“We are focusing on 10 categories of help. The 10 categories are mental health, primary care, physical therapy, holistic therapy, financial aid and literacy, fitness, legal aid, benefits, housing, and job assistance.”
In the interview Michelle and the host, KP, discuss why the military community is hesitant to trust others. They also discuss the frustrating fact that so many transitioning military members do not seek transition assistance until they are already retired.
To hear more details about the military culture and the future of Veteran Help Point, check out the full episode!
Click here for the full interview.
Blog post written by Lina Gomez
