250 & Beyond | An Important Stitch in the Fabric of Who We Are" | Najla Munshower

About this episode

Najla Munshower shares her journey of service and community building as a military spouse and AmeriCorps member.

What happens when you spend your life moving — and you bring your commitment to service with you every single time? Najla Munshower served in the AmeriCorps Veteran Leader Corps in 2012-2013 as the spouse of an active duty service member in Washington State. What she built there — coordination programs for veterans in transition — became part of the framework for the USO Pathfinder Transitions Program, which is still running today. Since then, she's moved through Europe, North Carolina, and now Indiana. And everywhere she goes, she finds people who need what she knows: how to navigate VA benefits, how to support military families, how to help someone who doesn't know help is available ask for it. One story stands out: a volunteer food bank run she helped organize that eventually led to an on-base food pantry for lower-enlisted families who couldn't always afford groceries. The quiet, invisible needs that nobody talks about — that's where Najla shows up. "AmeriCorps afforded me the ability to not just enter into community with intent — but to grow the community." — Najla Munshower #StillGettingThingsDone _______________________________________ 🤝 This episode is part of a special…

People in this episode

Host: Nicki Fiocco

Guest: Najla Munshower

Topics covered

• service
• military families
• community support
• veterans
• food security
• AmeriCorps

Keywords

• AmeriCorps
• veterans
• military families
• community service
• food pantry
• VA benefits

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AmeriCorps Veteran Leader Corps, USO Pathfinder Transitions Program, National Museum and Center for Service, Independent Sector

Places: Washington State, Europe, North Carolina, Indiana

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