From Service to Support! Building the Overwatch Initiative

The Overwatch Initiative, founded and led by Shane Santelli, is a developing nonprofit organization built on a singular, urgent mission: to ensure that veterans and first responders—individuals who have spent their lives protecting others—are not left to struggle alone when the weight of trauma, addiction, and transition becomes overwhelming. Santelli’s vision is shaped by firsthand understanding of the mental, emotional, and physical toll that service can take. As a result, the initiative focuses on creating a community-centered support structure that goes far beyond traditional outreach. It is designed as a proactive, boots-on-the-ground effort that identifies those who are struggling, surrounds them with peers who understand their experiences, and connects them to meaningful pathways toward recovery and renewal. At the heart of the Overwatch Initiative is the belief that healing happens in community. The organization prioritizes peer-to-peer interaction—veterans and first responders helping one another, sharing lived experiences, and offering guidance from a place of sincerity and credibility. These interactions serve as the foundation for broader support services, which include assisting participants in accessing mental-health care, navigating treatment placement, and finding long-term recovery resources tailored to their specific needs. By focusing on connection first, the initiative reduces the stigma that often prevents people from seeking help and replaces it with a sense of belonging and trust. Beyond emotional and clinical support, the Overwatch Initiative is committed to restoring purpose. Many individuals emerging from high-intensity service roles experience disconnection, identity loss, or a lack of direction. Through mentorship, group activities, curated resource networks, and structured recovery guidance, the organization aims to reestablish a sense of meaning—and to remind each participant that they are still part of a mission that matters. The initiative is fueled entirely by grassroots support, including fundraising efforts that help secure meeting spaces, build networks, and expand outreach to those who need it most. As it grows, the Overwatch Initiative seeks to build a sustainable, nationwide movement that echoes Santelli’s core conviction: no one who has served their community or their country should ever face their darkest moments alone.