For military spouses arriving in new areas, feeling lost in their own neighborhood and not knowing where to turn for even the basics of locating libraries, parks where children can play or where to socialize with likeminded folks can be daunting, frustrating and depressing.

Nicole Koch, wife of a career Soldier, knows how stressful navigating a new city can be. A transplant to the Pacific Northwest, Koch moved to Lacey four years ago and experienced these difficulties herself.  After struggling to figure out her own city and become aware of the "what's" and "where's" that met her own needs, Koch, a mother of two, decided to pay it forward.  She created Nic's Network (www.Nicsnetwork.com), an online site that provides useful information for newcomers to the area. 

"Nicsnetwork.com is designed for the community of Lacey, Olympia, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and surrounding areas," said Koch in a recent e-mail. "I thought if I put it all on one website, then it would be one central location (where) everyone could find everything they ever wanted about our city."

Koch's passion and compassion for the people in her community is evident in the hours she devotes to running the networking site. "The inspiration comes from hearing ‘I didn't know Black Hills Gymnastics offered gymnastics for toddlers,' or  ‘I didn't know Jumping Jacks was a great place for a rainy day' or that t-ball is offered through Lacey Parks and Rec.," she said. Her goal in creating the site is to provide a "one-site-for-all," where people turn for information, support and to get connected.  "All of the ‘I didn't know's' got my attention," she said, "because at one point, it was me saying that, and now I have the opportunity to give back to the very community of people who helped me along my journey of finding things here."

Nicsnetwork.com provides a place where community, business and social events can be posted for free as well. "The public can utilize Nicsnetwork.com by sharing events, or to find local events in our community, to find businesses that are recommended by other businesses or (share) something they found on their social networks." There are no criteria for posting community events and informative articles, but they must be legal. Whether an individual looking for a specific local business or service, a business owner wanting to connect with customers through advertising, or one looking to get connected in the local communities through activities, the site is open to everyone.

Koch makes it easy for business owners, too. "There are no criteria for selecting businesses; I am a networking site for all businesses, small or large. Anyone can post their own business and as long as they are legal, I post them."

Nicsnetwork.com enables direct networking through the use of social media via sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and connects businesses through Amazon accounts as well. A link to businesses' websites can be listed for free, while fees for other services can be discussed by contacting Koch directly. For increased exposure, businesses can opt to have logos placed on Nicsnetwork.com tee shirts, and photos can be uploaded to the site. Fees are waived for non-profit organizations that want to advertise.

Koch further explains her drive for creating Nicsnetwork.com. "I hope that people find comfort when they come to Nicsnetwork. I hope they find that needed hotel, or the best restaurant, or find the right sport for their child. I hope that one day I will inspire someone else to give back as I am trying to do here with Nicsnetwork.com."