Recently, United Way of the Midlands’ (unitedwaymidlands.org) Military and Family Helpline (MFH) was recognized with the Innovation Award – Cooperative Relationships by InformUSA. Presented annually, the InformUSA Awards recognize individuals and organizations for their hard work, innovation and achievements in the areas of information and referral.
Launched in November 2024 through a partnership with Offutt Air Force Base, the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs and community partners – the Military and Family Helpline’s goal is to strengthen support for veterans and active-duty military and their families by leveraging existing community resources and infrastructure.
The MFH utilizes United Way of the Midlands’ existing 211 Helpline infrastructure to ensure comprehensive support – connecting users to trained resource specialists who help them identify best-fit resources for needs such as food, housing, healthcare, childcare and employment.
What makes this partnership especially unique is a dedicated navigator also operates both on-base at Offutt AFB and at UWM to offer personalized assistance – effectively connecting veteran, installation and community-based resources to meet diverse needs. This comprehensive approach ensures individuals facing multifaceted challenges can access vital services, regardless of their proximity to military installations.
In its first six months of operation, the MFH has already made a powerful impact on the military community – receiving more than 4,000 calls from individuals with military affiliation and adding more than 245 veteran resources to its database. This effort would not be possible without corporate sponsors Beardmore, Five Points Bank, Caretech, Pella, CymStar and ACCESSbank.
For more information about the MFH, go to: UWM211.org/MilitaryFamilyHelpline.