Letter from the Executive Director

Hello!  Welcome!  Thank you for your service!  I am happy you have found your way to this page and look forward to connecting.  I am a U.S Navy Veteran who has worked in mental health for over a decade.  I value camaraderie, feeling safe with your peers, and creating support systems that improve quality of life. 

Through the process, I have come to understand the significance of consistency of care. Getting help is one thing; continuing to work on yourself is another. Having worked in mental health for the last 10 years, I have been given a unique opportunity to help Veterans in all stages of recovery. I have pushed through what is considered the norms of care and brought specialty care to Veterans in the Coachella Valley. Whether facilitating a support group at a local community college, strumming a guitar with Veterans in the park, or hiking with Veterans throughout the Coachella Valley, I am constantly working on ways to extend care outside of conventional treatment and meet Veterans where they are comfortable and willing to engage in care and support.

Mission Veteran was started because of the lack of resources available to our Veterans, particularly for spouses and family members in the Coachella Valley. Changes can be made with the right team, passion, and resources. I humbly ask for help because this Mission cannot be completed alone. I have learned through my own challenges/barriers that we never have to be alone in our struggles or in our victories, that what is within us is stronger than what is in front of us.


My big-picture goal is to create a new, evolved method of helping Veterans by establishing new centers that allow Veterans to come together not just to socialize with cocktails, but also through exercise, education, recreation, and social engagement. Our Mission is to make a positive impact in the lives of our Veterans through a peer-to-peer approach, creating support systems for Veterans and family members who are struggling. The need is there, and the rewards of helping a brother or sister come second to none. I have lost friends, my best friend to Veteran suicide, and I work harder every day for the twenty-two Veterans we lose. There is a new battle for our returning Veterans, and an all-too-familiar one for our Veterans of past conflicts.


Together we can make a change, we can save our Veterans and their families. We are starting with a music program and a Veteran and spouse retreat program. We hope you will consider contributing to our Mission and look forward to working with you to make a positive impact in the lives of our Veterans and their families.

Sincerely,

Edward A. Robles