Built for Veterans.
Led by Veterans.
Operation Meraki empowers veterans and their families to be seen, supported, and thriving in their next mission in life after service.
Whether You Serve, Give, or Show Up — There's a Place for You Here.
I’m a Veteran
Our programs are free, peer-led, and built specifically for veterans and their families in Central Ohio — at every stage of transition. No experience required. Just show up.
Find Your Program →I Want to Donate
Every dollar funds free programs for veterans — from whole health and wellness coaching to career reintegration, creative healing, and community connection.
Make a Gift →I Want to Volunteer
We need skilled volunteers in outreach, facilitation, communications, operations, and mission support. Come run the next mission with us.
Volunteer With Us →More Than a Nonprofit.
A Community That Shows Up.
Mission
Operation Meraki empowers veterans and their families to be seen, supported, and thriving in their next mission in life after service.
Vision
A world where every veteran and their family is seen, supported, and thriving in their next mission beyond military service.
Why "Operation Meraki"
"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 veterans' next missions with the same intentionality as a military operation — and we do it with heart, soul, and excellence.
Life after service is not the end. It is the next operation — and no veteran should run it alone.
Michael Thomas · Founder & Executive DirectorThree Pillars. One Complete Veteran.
We take care of the veteran as a whole person — whole health first, then gainful employment and growth, then deep community connection. All three, in every veteran's life.
Whole Health & Wellness
Before a veteran can thrive in a career or community, they need to be well. Our ReSet umbrella addresses physical, emotional, and relational health through peer support, integrative health coaching, trauma-informed yoga, mindfulness, creative wellness, and therapeutic horticulture.
Explore ReSet →The Three E's
Once a veteran's health foundation is stabilized, we focus on economic empowerment. We help veterans get employed in roles they can grow in, launch businesses, or pursue education and retraining. Not just a job — a sustainable, meaningful life trajectory.
Explore ReEngage →Community Engagement
The final pillar breaks the silo. We get veterans out — into events, into community projects, into partnerships where they are seen as contributors, not recipients. Community is not a bonus. It is the final piece of a veteran becoming whole.
Get Connected →Four Programs. One Mission.
ReSet
Peer support, integrative health coaching, mindfulness, yoga, and experiential therapy — available to veterans right now.
ReEngage
Cohort-based career reintegration — translating military experience into civilian opportunity, confidence, and connection.
ReFocus
Photography, storytelling, and creative expression that help veterans reclaim their voice and tell their story with dignity.
RePlant
Veterans rebuild routine, patience, and purpose through the healing work of growing food and nurturing life.
Core Values That Govern Everything We Do
Honor the Whole Person
We see veterans and families as more than their rank, MOS, or discharge — honoring their stories, identities, and lived experiences in every interaction.
Next-Mission Mindset
We treat life after service as a new mission — helping veterans carry forward their strengths instead of abandoning who they were in uniform.
Radical Belonging
We build spaces where veterans and families feel genuinely seen, heard, and never alone — regardless of how long ago they served.
Purpose Before Programs
Every offering is designed to move people closer to a life of meaning — not just services checked off a list.
Do the Work with Heart
We show up with integrity, empathy, and excellence — doing the hard work required to earn trust with those who served.
Leave No One Behind
When a veteran goes quiet or disappears, we reach out. No veteran becomes invisible on our watch.
The Mission Doesn’t End When the Uniform Comes Off.
Join us in building a Central Ohio where every veteran is seen, supported, and thriving in the next mission after service.