My Biz: Connecting veterans with needed services

Returning to civilian life can be a rocky road for military personnel and their families. Frequently, there are unexpected and unmet needs in critical areas like covering rent.

That's where the Midwest Military Outreach comes in.

'It's about us reaching into the community and finding the right resources for them now,” said John Mikelson, the organization's government liaison.

Mikelson retired from the United States Army after serving 25 years.

He went back to school at the University of Iowa, and after completing his education he helped form the UI Veterans Center, where he worked as the program's coordinator.

He joined the ranks of the Midwest Military Outreach office in Cedar Rapids two and a half years ago.

'There really are a lot of good programs for veterans,” he said. 'But they are disconnected and they are scattered.”

Mikelson said his office might field anywhere from 20 to 200 phone calls during the week.

'For regular phone calls and interventions, there are two of us doing that full time,” he said. 'And maybe four to five others that I have on speed dial that are experts in various other fields.”

He said his office teams up with other resources such as the Wounded Warrior Project, Team Red White and Blue, the Iowa Veterans Welcome Center and the many student groups that exist in the area.

'We connect people to the resources they need. We provide support in the critical life areas of family, employment, education, financial education and health,” he said.

Often the kind of assistance needed is help with rent and utilities money, he added.

'Sometimes we refer them back to their county service officer because they have programs that can help with the rent.”

Mikelson's office works with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, peer-to-peer mentors and area mental health specialists when it comes to assisting service personnel with drug and substance abuse issues.

'I'm like a big spider web where every intersection spins off into several other tangents,” he said. 'I like to find out exactly what the service member or their family needs, and then clear all the other clutter off the plate and help them find what they need, where they need it and provide it to them when they need it.”