Welcome to episode 10 of the In the Name of Service Podcast. Today’s interview is with Michelle Lang. Michelle is a military spouse, mother of three, and founder of Veteran Help Point, a nonprofit building a fluid and intuitive database for veterans and their families who need resources but don’t know where or how to find them.In today’s conversation, Michelle takes us through her own story, highlighting some of the painful experiences that fueled her fire to support others today. Specifically, Michelle speaks about the difficulties she and her husband faced during his military service as well as during a break in service, how frustrating and hopeless it can be in the role of a military spouse, and how she had to first humble herself, let go of pride and ego and get help BEFORE she could be of help to her husband.If you’ve ever been discouraged by trying to support someone when you have no idea what is going on in their head or are confused by sudden “avalanches of emotion” as Michelle describes, this episode is for you. It can be difficult being a military spouse for several reasons like unknown future assignments and deployments, difficulties getting plugged in to new friend circles, finding work that is meaningful to you, or raising kids by yourself while your spouse is training or deployed. Michelle has dealt with all of these and more yet she says today that the military has actually made her family stronger, that her marriage gets stronger AS they go through all of the challenges they face together.Michelle is selfless, strong, and stubborn. Her husband, Chris, may be the one in the military, but Michelle is a fighter! I hope this conversation encourages you today that no matter what battle you’re facing, there are people who want to come alongside and fight with you. For more information on Veteran Help Point and specific volunteer opportunities available like resource discovery, database management, social media management, or marketing and branding, or to reach out to Michelle directly, please take a look at the show notes. Thank you for listening!Volunteer opportunities:Veteran Help Point has "bite sized" opportunities for you to directly unburden veterans and their families with their mental load. If you are gifted in any of the following, we have opportunities for you!Resource discovery- 1-2 hours a week (or bi-weekly) to find local resources and record in a spreadsheet. You'll be shown how to look for resources by using a simple process to make it a foolproof process!Database management- If you're a geek for spreadsheets this is your jam! Something as simple as formatting sheets to make them more streamlined or complex as adding automation. Social Media Management- With 5 social media platforms to manage today, this opportunity can be quite robust or if you're skilled with one platform in particular it can be focused on just one. Marketing and Branding- The great thing about nonprofits is the access to free tools and resources. We have access to things like Google Ads and need help utilized these tools to reach a wider audience to begin helping. Michelle’s contact information:[email protected]Facebook and Instagram at Veteran Help Point