Bastion Community

10/21/2026

Bastion’s new Veteran Wellness Center makes our cost-free, evidence-backed programs available to any veteran who calls New Orleans home. We serve veterans all across the city, plus surrounding parishes and San Antonio. Our unique community continues to grow both locally and nationally!

Whether you’re searching for support or seeking an opportunity to serve, Bastion is here for you.

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Help fuel Bastion’s mission by making a Giving Tuesday gift this year! Thanks to our funders and supporters, Bastion offers every program, class, and clinical session free of cost for our veterans and their loved ones. Giving Tuesday (December 1) is a critical time for nonprofits to fundraise for another year of impact!

10/13/2026

Thank you to our friends and community members that shared Bastion with The New York Times!

This article explores different kinds of communities that are being developed in response to today's challenges, like the cost of housing and displacement due to climate change.

Bastion was referenced as an existing community that operates in a similar way: using the intentional community model to help people feel supported and connected while overcoming struggles together.

While this piece largely focuses on housing-based communities, we know here at Bastion that community is more than where you live. It's about meaningful relationships, a shared sense of purpose, and common values. It's a network of support, a lifeline in a crisis, and a source of daily joy.

Our Bastion community stretches all across New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and San Antonio. The common thread that keeps our community members thriving is their belief in one another, shaping a world where no veteran heals alone. We're thrilled to see the power of community in action and the creative ways in which new communities are helping people heal, grow, and flourish.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/headway/housing-community-veterans-homelessness.html?searchResultPosition=1

10/06/2026

Don't forget to join us TOMORROW (October 7) for this educational workshop! Learn how you can set yourself up for a brighter financial future with credit building and repair strategies.

Join Bastion and our friends at Credit Human for a free credit building workshop on October 7th!

Learn how to build a brighter financial future from the experts: first steps, helpful tools, and education to support you along your journey. All are welcome to access this financial health resource at our Veteran Wellness Center, regardless of veteran status.

Use the link below to RSVP:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bastion-and-credit-human-credit-building-workshop-tickets-2000190764420?

10/06/2026

Bastion's Veteran Wellness Center and the amazing minds at OJT who designed it were featured in The Architectural Review!

Check out these updated photos from our new space.

The Veteran Wellness Center is a hub of resources and social connection, offering a single location where New Orleans area veterans can access the programs and services they need in a community-based setting.

Whether you're seeking specialized support, a community to call your own, or the opportunity to serve others, our doors are open and we are here for you. Visit our website calendar for drop-in friendly events and rotating onsite partner services.

At Bastion, no veteran heals alone. We're proud to offer this beautiful, sustainable space for our veteran community to gather, grow, and support one another.

https://shorturl.at/ZNwlr

09/30/2026

Join Bastion and our friends at Credit Human for a free credit building workshop on October 7th!

Learn how to build a brighter financial future from the experts: first steps, helpful tools, and education to support you along your journey. All are welcome to access this financial health resource at our Veteran Wellness Center, regardless of veteran status.

Use the link below to RSVP:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bastion-and-credit-human-credit-building-workshop-tickets-2000190764420?

09/22/2026

The VA’s annual BUDDY CHECK WEEK is here!

This powerful campaign helps veterans connect and reconnect with other former service members. A “buddy check” can be a call, text, or even a Facebook message - it only takes a few minutes to check in and let a fellow veteran know that you’re thinking of them, that you’re here for them, and that they’re never alone no matter what challenges post-military life may bring.

Buddy Check Week was created to enhance peer-to-peer connections amongst veterans, improve mental health across the community, and increase access to VA and non-VA resources. It’s an easy, practical way to check in on your buddies and an important reminder that human relationships can save lives.

Research consistently demonstrates a devastatingly link between veteran loneliness and increased risk of su***de. This same research also shows that social support is a major protective factor: when veterans have access to community, a network of peer support, and meaningful relationships, they’re able to regain their sense of purpose and belonging. These basic elements of mental wellness are the foundation of a healthy, independent, and resilient future for both veterans and non-veterans alike.

Take the pledge–take the training–find buddies:
Take the training before reaching out and talking to your buddies. The training helps you recognize signs of distress and educates you on available resources you can recommend if needed. VetResources Community Network (VRCN)is partnering with Face the Fight to promote Su***de Prevention and Buddy Check Week. Starbucks has donated 20,000 gift cards to support efforts to reduce veteran su***de. The first 20,000 individuals who complete the Buddy Check training and pledge to reach out to 10 veterans are eligible to receive a Starbucks gift card after pledge week.

Training & Pledge: https://department.va.gov/veterans-experience/va-veteran-buddy-checks/

Veteran Loneliness & Su***de Research: https://dixoncenter.org/is-it-time-to-reframe-our-approach-to-veteran-su***de-prevention/

09/21/2026

Are you a New Orleans area veteran searching for support, community, or an opportunity to grow? Subscribe to Bastion's weekly community email for a list of workshops, wellness classes, partner services, and other resources you can access at Bastion's Veteran Wellness Center.

Every week, Bastion offers recurring events like our Veteran Sobriety Support Group, Neighborhood Walking Group, weekday morning coffee cart and more.

We also facilitate a wide variety of rotating wellness classes led by both Bastion staff and local community-based providers. This week, you can join us for any of the healing opportunities below! See link for more details about this week's offerings.

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Wed. September 23 @ 1:30pm - Release & Restore
• This week’s Wellness Wednesday class is led by instructor Raegan and involves yoga, stretching, and breath work to help release stress and restore nervous system balance.

Wed. September 23 @ 5:30pm - Sound Healing
• Join instructor Jason for an early evening sound healing session. Wind down after your work day with this relaxing and accessible wellness practice.

Thurs. September 24 @ 1pm to 3pm - Mobile Medical Unit
• The Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System's Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) will be at Bastion every other week to provide healthcare services to veterans. This unit is designed to assist unhoused or at-risk veterans.

Thurs. September 24 @ 4pm - Mind-Body Tools for Stress Relief
• Bastion social worker Lovella leads this educational session exploring connections between the mind and body. Participants will learn practical skills and tools they can use in their daily life, practice at home, and build future wellness habits upon.

Fri. September 25 @ 12pm - What is EMDR?
• Want to learn more about EMDR therapy? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a therapeutic tool used by trained providers to help clients heal from trauma and PTSD. Join us for this free, open session to learn how EMDR works and how it has been used to help veterans across the country.

Hello from Bastion!Today kicks off the VA’s annual BUDDY CHECK WEEK! This powerful campaign helps veterans connect and reconnect with other former service members. A “buddy check” can be a call, text, or even a Facebook message - it only takes a few minutes to check in and let a fellow veteran...

09/11/2026

Yesterday evening, veterans and Bastion staff gathered to light purple candles in honor of World Su***de Prevention Day.

This tradition honors those we have lost, shows support for those affected by su***de, and lets survivors know they’re not alone. On this anniversary of 9/11, this message is even more critical as we recognize the countless Americans whose lives were forever altered 25 years ago today.

Grief and mental wellness are a lifelong journey. We wish for relief, peace, and connection for those affected by this tragedy who carry on despite the loss of their loved or the weight of their own experience, particularly our first responders and the military members who answered the call to serve in the years to come. For those searching for a reason to continue - you are never alone and we stand with you in your journey towards healing.

No Veteran Heals Alone is more than a tagline - it’s the core belief that fuels our work, our community, and the veterans we serve. Meaningful relationships are a protective factor against su***de. They offer a sense of connection, purpose, and belonging . Together, these relationships are the fabric of our community and a beacon of support for all veterans.

Healing happens together, and Bastion is here for you if you need our services, partner resources, or simply a place to connect with fellow veterans - a place where you are seen, supported, and understood.

Whether you’re searching for support or seeking a chance to serve others, Bastion is here for you.

09/03/2026

Don't forget to join us this evening for a presentation on veteran funeral benefits, hosted by Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home & Cemeteries. Learn about planning essentials, further resources, and benefits for veterans and family members.

This event begins at 5:30pm. Please use the contact info below to call, text, or email our hosts and let them know you plan to attend.

*Meet us at our new Veteran Wellness Center, located at 1825 Mirabeau Avenue right next to our old office building at 1901 Mirabeau.

08/28/2026

Bastion's Resident Council, a group of community members elected by their peers, have kept their neighbors socially connected this summer through fun gatherings like this painting class!

We're so grateful to have our new Veteran Wellness Center in the heart of Bastion's original site, America's first intentional community for veterans and families. Not only does this building provide critical capacity and resources for Bastion's programs, it also gives veterans opportunities to be creative, independent, and innovative by hosting their own events and resident-led initiatives.

Thank you to our instructor Angela Bowens and her sister Gaynell for facilitating this class. Everyone left with a masterpiece of their own to take this memorable experience home with them.