By: Jennifer Holliday, Alabama Military Family Liaison

Alabama continues to lead the nation in launching innovative connections and experiences for military spouses. Efforts to fulfill Lieutenant Governor Ainsworth’s mission of improving the quality of life for our service members, spouses, families, and Veterans, have led to an on-going expansion of the Alabama Military Spouse Mentorship-HUB (AL-HUB). In our latest round of programming launches, I collaborated with our DoD Installations, Alabama National Guard, military spouses, and the Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN) to create two unique experiences for military spouses moving to and living in Alabama:

• A first-of-its-kind statewide Military Spouse Advisory Council
• A first-of-its-kind statewide communication forum for Alabama National Guard Spouses

The Alabama Military Spouse Advisory Council (the Council) convenes a group of military spouses, who are actively engaged in their local communities, to interact directly with me, increasing connectivity with local military spouses and the ability to collect valuable insights and resources on a regular basis. It is a dynamic, repeatable, and unique statewide experience for our military spouse community leaders. The Council further affords an opportunity for military spouse quality of life subject matter experts to participate as guests on the Council, sharing their specific insights from the National and Department of Defense level while living in Alabama.

Council Members will identify areas where improvements can be made and work towards solutions in collaboration with military spouse groups, DoD Installations, the Alabama Military Stability Foundation (ALMSF), and other stakeholders. Quarterly Council meetings will be held virtually inside the AL-HUB, hosted by MSAN. The Military Spouse Advocacy Network is a global organization and trusted partner that supports military spouses through mentorship, education, and networking. MSAN powers the AL-HUB through a collaborative partnership with the Alabama Military Stability Foundation (ALMSF) and our Heroes Welcome Initiative. 

"This collaboration will provide military spouses and families across all branches with a dedicated mentorship experience,” said Verenice Castillo, Founder and CEO of the Military Spouse Advocacy Network. “The AL-HUB offers daily access to peer-to-peer mentorship and connects users to local and state programs and resources, enhancing their support network."

The Alabama National Guard (ALNG) Spouse Forum is also housed within the AL-HUB and offers a unique communication experience specifically for ALNG spouses across the state. The ALNG Forum bridges a major communication gap where spouses did not previously have a centralized way to receive and share information. That lack of information has left many feeling disconnected from their spouses’ service and ill-informed about events and resources.

The ALNG Spouse Forum serves as a centralized information and mentorship HUB, connecting ALNG Spouses with each other in their local areas and across the state, and with senior leader spouses. This innovative approach further helps to create a sense of connection among families of ALNG members and improve their quality of life.

“On behalf of the Alabama Military Stability Foundation, we thank Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth for his steadfast commitment to improving the quality of life for all our military-connected spouses, families, service members, and Veterans moving to and living in Alabama”, said Jake Proctor, Executive Director of the Alabama Military Stability Foundation. “His support and leadership allow us to focus on the military-connected community, which also helps raise the tide for everyone in Alabama and make us the most military and Veteran-friendly state in the nation.”

Military spouses interested in attending the virtual Council meetings and ALNG spouses who want to participate in the ALNG Spouse Forum can join our AL-HUB through the Alabama Heroes Welcome Initiative website: https://www.heroeswelcome.alabama.gov/alabama-mentorship-hub/.

Pictured Left to Right: Julie Cooley, Military Spouse Council Secretary; Jennifer Holliday, Military Spouse Council Chair; Leslie Sanders, Alabama Military Stability Foundation Board Member; and Heather Campbell, Military Spouse Council Guest Member.

Pictured Left to Right: Jennifer Holliday, Alabama Military Family Liaison and Miliary Spouse Council Chair; Jamie Dickson, ALNG Family Programs Director; and Julie Pritchett, Senior Leader Spouse for the ALNG Spouse Forum, Military Spouse Council Member, and spouse of MG David Pritchett, the ALNG TAG.