San Antonio veteran wellness center gifted $250K

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Dallas-based Energy Transfer donated $250,000 towards the purchase of fitness equipment at the Veteran Wellness Center in San Antonio.

“Fitness is so important for the mind-body connection,” Dr. Jill E. Palmer, LCSW, Acting Chief of Behavioral Health for Endeavors, said. “Being able to move more, exercise, and get a cardio workout several times a week can decrease depression and anxiety and support recovery, to name a few benefits. The Veteran Wellness Center’s fitness center will help our Veterans and their family members realize their goals and choose wellness every day at their fitness level.”

Services are currently all virtual until the Veteran Wellness Center opens on November 11 at 6333 De Zavala Road.

The fitness center is only one type of service that will be at the Veteran Wellness Center, which offers complementary services to Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic. Endeavors’ Veteran Wellness Center will also offer a variety of services including mental health services to Veterans and their families who suffer from chronic or long-term mental illnesses. The organization offers support from a peer support specialist that will be available to provide encouragement, goal setting and general recovery guidance to clients.

Operation Parent is a program offered through the Veteran Wellness Center to all Bexar County Veterans including active military families with children up to 17 years old. Operation Parent is a virtual parenting enrichment program aimed at giving parents a chance to understand and cultivate their parenting style through a family-centered trauma-informed initiative called the Nurturing Parent curriculum.

“This is a huge step in improving the wellbeing of Veterans and their families, and we couldn’t do it without the help of community partners like Energy Transfer,” said Endeavors’ Chief of Development and Communications, Traci Gomez.