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A community-powered space where veterans, service members, and military families can train, heal, and reconnect.
A community-powered space where veterans, service members, and military families can train, heal, and reconnect.
Veterans Don’t Want to Meet in Hospitals, Offices, or Empty Rooms
They don’t want to fight through red tape just to talk to someone.
They don’t want to sit in waiting rooms that feel cold, clinical, or disconnected from real life.
They don’t want to gather in places that don’t reflect who they are, what they’ve been through, or where they’re going.
What they want is simple... a place that feels like theirs.
A space to move. To breathe. To reconnect.
To be seen, not just served.
That’s what we’re building.
More Than a Gym. More Than a Program. A Home Base for the Mission After Service.
The Esprit Recreation Center will be the first of its kind in Chicago; a space designed for veterans, disabled service members, and military families to move, heal, connect, and grow alongside their community.
Every facility will include:
Public memberships will help fund free or discounted access for veterans and families, blending civilian support with military-centered impact.
Esprit centers will also prioritize employment opportunities for service members, veterans, and their dependents, offering meaningful roles within our facilities, programs, and leadership teams. We believe those who served should be the ones helping shape the spaces that serve others.
Chicago is the first step, but we’re thinking nationally.
We’re building a network of Esprit University Chapters across the country to activate military-connected students, grow leadership on campus, and lay the groundwork for future Esprit Centers in cities and campuses nationwide.
This is a model that can serve military families anywhere, no matter where they land after service.
Esprit Wellness Foundation was founded in early 2025 by two veterans who knew the mission wasn’t over.
We’re currently:
We may be new, but we’re moving fast, and with the right team, we’ll build something that lasts.
Want to help?
Every Movement Needs People Behind It.
Sign up to hear about our progress, upcoming events, and our path to building Chicago’s first veteran recreation center.
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