Wellness For All: Endeavors and Energy Transfer Team Up To Support Veteran Fitness
Last Updated: 22 Jul 2021
Partner Spotlight
We’re grateful to Energy Transfer, a community-minded business in Texas, for helping us provide the highest-possible-quality physical wellness to San Antonio Veterans.
Mark Your Calendars, The Veteran Wellness Center Is Getting Ready To Open Its Doors!
It’s finally happening! The Veteran Wellness Center at Endeavors will officially open its doors on November 11, 2021. (Yes, that’s Veterans Day!) In anticipation, one of our corporate partners, Energy Transfer, has recently committed to helping us make our Wellness Center a game-changing resource for San Antonio’s military community. Read on to find out how!
Partners In Prioritizing Inclusive Fitness
Thanks to a staggering $250,000 donation from Energy Transfer — whose website self-describes as “a Texas-based company that began in 1996 as a small intrastate natural gas pipeline operator and is now one of the largest and most diversified investment grade master limited partnerships in the United States” — the fitness center at the new VWC will be available to members of all ability levels.
Like Endeavors, Energy Transfer’s Texas roots run deep, but they’ve grown to spread their branches across the country (and even the globe!). Also like Endeavors, Energy Transfer has a long history of commitment to social good. In fact, from 2017 to 2019, they donated $46 million to over 70 nonprofit organizations across 38 states. Needless to say, we are honored to be among the many incredible organizations that Energy Transfer supports.
“Recognizing and supporting our country’s Veterans has always been important to Energy Transfer and to our employees across the country,” says Energy Transfer’s Vice President of Corporate Communications, Vicki Granado. “We are especially honored to be able to support the Veteran Wellness Center, an amazing facility in San Antonio that will provide unmatched services for Veterans and their families.”
Thanks to Energy Transfer’s immense generosity, the fitness center at the Veteran Wellness Center, designed to be inclusive for all of our clients, will feature equipment that accommodates those who depend on wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility aids, as well as those who don’t. With their help, we can ensure our fitness center features the best equipment to serve each and every one of our clients as they tend to their physical and overall wellness.
The fitness center plays a crucial role in our holistic approach to mental healthcare at Endeavors. Dr. Jill Palmer, LCSW, Acting Chief of Behavioral Health at Endeavors, shares, “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 VWC Fitness Center will help our Veterans and their family members be able to realize their goals and choose wellness every day at their fitness level.”
(Read: “5 Reasons Why Fitness Is A Crucial Part Of Mental Healthcare”)
In a press release announcing Energy Transfer’s financial support of our Veteran Wellness Center, Endeavors’ Chief of Development and Communications, Traci Gomez, said, “…we are thankful to [Energy Transfer] for their generosity. We hope others will join Energy Transfer in contributing to naming opportunities for this amazing new building.”
Wellness For All At The Veteran Wellness Center
The state-of-the-art holistic wellness center will provide integrated behavioral health with the mission of reducing and preventing suicide through Endeavors’ holistic wellness model. Specifically, the Wellness Center will serve Veterans, active duty military, their families, and caregivers, and will provide a range of services from counseling to fitness classes to childcare. Nearly complete, this facility is going to be a valuable, state-of-the-art resource for all of the San Antonio community.
(Read: “What Is A Veteran Wellness Center? How Endeavors Is Changing The Face Of Veteran Wellness”)
Before the COVID-19 crisis, the Veteran Wellness Center at Endeavors planned to open its doors in early 2021. But when disaster struck the world, the grand opening had to be pushed back.
While we couldn’t proceed with construction as fast as we planned, we were able to leverage online therapy (aka: Telehealth) to serve San Antonio Veterans, active duty military, and their families remotely. In the midst of severe isolation and national stress, our clinicians knew people would need access to professional counseling services more than ever, and we were thrilled to be able to offer high-quality, secure help directly to our clients’ homes.
The support Energy Transfer has shown us through this process is a perfect example of what we can all achieve when nonprofit and corporate entities partner to lift up those in need. Thanks to this most recent donation, our grand opening will offer local heroes and their families all of the in-person services they deserve, including high-quality, inclusive fitness programming and equipment.
In response to this donation, Endeavors’ Chief of Development and Communications, Traci Gomez, said, “…we are thankful to [Energy Transfer] for their generosity. We hope others will join Energy Transfer in contributing to naming opportunities for this amazing new building.”
Making A Difference For Our Military Community
The commitment businesses like Energy Transfer show to our military-affiliated folks living with mental health issues and other challenges not only warm our hearts, but changes the lives of heroes in and out of uniform. If you’ve been looking for a way to give back to your community, we invite you to consider making a donation to our Veteran Wellness Center. Every dollar counts, and every gift furthers our mission to restore and improve the quality of life for vulnerable people in need. To make a monetary donation, visit our website or contact our Veteran Wellness Center directly at [email protected].
About Endeavors
Endeavors is a longstanding national non-profit that provides an array of programs and services in support of children, families, Veterans, and those struggling with mental illness and other disabilities. Endeavors serves vulnerable people in crisis through innovative personalized services. For more information, please visit www.endeavors.org.