Free, peer-led programs for veterans in Central Ohio: wellness, career reintegration, creative expression, and community. Start with one conversation.
Eligible veteran family members can take part in our programs too. See what’s available and how to join.
Your gift keeps every program free for the veterans who use it. One-time and recurring gifts are both welcome.
We need people in outreach, facilitation, communications, operations, and mission support. Pick a role and join the team.
Our programs are free, peer-led, and built for veterans and their families in Central Ohio, at every stage of transition. No experience required. Just show up.
Start Here →Every dollar funds free programs for veterans, from whole health coaching to career reintegration, creative healing, and community connection.
Make a Gift →We need skilled volunteers in outreach, facilitation, communications, operations, and mission support. Come run the next mission with us.
Volunteer With Us →Operation Meraki empowers veterans and their families to be seen, supported, and thriving in their next mission in life after service.
A world where every veteran and their family is seen, supported, and thriving in their next mission beyond military service.
“Operation” honors the military mindset: life after service is not the end, but the next mission. “Meraki” is a Greek word meaning to do something with soul, creativity, and love. Together, we approach each veteran’s next mission with the intentionality of a military operation, and we do it with heart.
“Life after service is not the end. It is the next operation, and no veteran should run it alone.”
We care for the veteran as a whole person: whole health first, then gainful employment and growth, then deep community connection.
Before a veteran can thrive in a career or community, they need to be well. Our ReSet umbrella addresses physical, emotional, and relational health.
Explore ReSet →Once health is stabilized, we focus on economic empowerment: roles veterans can grow in, businesses they can launch, and education or retraining. Not just a job, but a sustainable life trajectory.
Explore ReEngage →We get veterans out, into events, community projects, and partnerships where they are seen as contributors, not recipients. Community is the final piece of becoming whole.
Get Connected →Peer support, integrative health coaching, mindfulness, yoga, and experiential therapy, available to veterans right now.
Workforce DevelopmentCohort-based career reintegration that translates military experience into civilian opportunity, confidence, and connection.
Creative WellnessPhotography, storytelling, and creative expression that help veterans reclaim their voice and tell their story with dignity.
Urban AgricultureVeterans rebuild routine, patience, and purpose through the healing work of growing food and nurturing life.
Weekly peer support, program sessions, and community events.
See the current calendar for dates, times, and locations.
View Full CalendarNo. Operation Meraki programs are free for eligible veterans and family members.
See the Start Here page for current eligibility details, including which eras of service and which family members qualify.
Programs and peer support groups meet in the Columbus, Ohio area. The events calendar lists current locations.
Dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255, to reach the Veterans Crisis Line any time, day or night.
We see veterans and families as more than their rank, MOS, or discharge, and honor their stories and lived experiences in every interaction.
We treat life after service as a new mission, helping veterans carry their strengths forward instead of abandoning who they were in uniform.
We build spaces where veterans and families feel seen, heard, and never alone, no matter how long ago they served.
Every offering is designed to move people closer to a life of meaning, not just services checked off a list.
We show up with integrity, empathy, and excellence, and do the hard work required to earn trust with those who served.
When a veteran goes quiet or disappears, we reach out. No veteran becomes invisible on our watch.
Join us in building a Central Ohio where every veteran is seen, supported, and thriving in the next mission after service.
