Dear friends of Bastion,
This historic year has been unlike any other: we expanded our CARF-accredited Headway brain injury program to Texas, launched our new year-round Wellness Intensive program, and are less than a month away from the completion of our new 10,000 square foot Veterans Wellness Center. These goals were just dreams years ago and through these accomplishments, we’ve set up our organization to serve even more of the 15,000+ veterans who call New Orleans home, plus a fully enrolled cohort of brain injury-affected veterans in San Antonio.
As Bastion’s programs and geographic footprint continue to grow, so does our impact. Our original intentional community on Mirabeau Avenue was created by veterans, for veterans to help them rediscover a sense of purpose, belonging, and connection as they navigate post-military life. Today, this community stretches all across New Orleans and beyond – proof that the powerful relationships between veterans which define this community are not bound by where they live.
To better capture the spirit of today’s Bastion, we’ve worked with our friends at Neiter Creative to develop new branding that will help usher us into our next chapter. Our new logo features the signature silhouette of a Bastion home, our way of honoring the 58 households who believed in Bastion, and each other, in our earliest days. What we do now embodies what these veterans built together from the beginning – a community of veterans supporting each other on their paths to healing, growth, and self-discovery.
Our new tagline describes what we’ve witnessed at Bastion since its inception: No Veteran Heals Alone. Each veteran’s journey is unique, but our need for connection is universal. In a nation where we lose 44 veterans every single day to suicide, overdose, and other self-induced causes, it’s crucial that we build communities of connection where veterans can escape the loneliness and isolation that so many experience upon returning home from service.
With the opening of our new Veterans Wellness Center, Bastion is creating a space where any veteran can find the community they’ve been searching for. This building will serve as the definitive community hub for the veterans of New Orleans, where they can connect with opportunities, cost-free resources, transformative programs, and most importantly: each other. We’re redefining what veteran care looks like, eliminating the cracks that veterans so often slip through. This facility aims to break the paradigm of barriers to access that leave many veterans struggling to navigate what help they need and where to seek it, especially when “help” for layered challenges isn’t a one-dimensional solution. Whether you’re a veteran seeking support or a veteran looking to serve others, Bastion not only wants you, but needs you.
We can’t wait to welcome you into our new building as we kick off the new year. To power this new community hub, we need volunteers and supporters who can donate their time, talents, or financial resources. Please continue to follow us on social media for announcements about our Grand Opening event, our new website, and opportunities to show your support for your local New Orleans veterans community.
