At Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors (JAH4WW), our mission is to provide critically wounded combat Veterans with the opportunity to live comfortably and independently in specially adapted homes. We are committed to building mortgage-free, accessible homes tailored to the needs of each Veteran, recognizing their sacrifices and enhancing their quality of life.
Founded in October 2009 by retired NFL star Jared Allen, JAH4WW was inspired by Jared’s USO tour to military bases in the Middle East. Witnessing firsthand the challenges faced by injured service members, he was motivated to make a difference. Our foundation continues to honor and support our heroes, ensuring they have a safe place to call home.
Our dedicated team at Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors is committed to providing exceptional support and services to our wounded Veterans, ensuring they have the independence and comfort they deserve.
At the age of eight, Jared Allen told his father he wanted to become a professional football player. His father, Ron, told him that to do so, he needed to eat, sleep, and breathe football until he achieved his goal.
Jared did just that. He went on to become a five-time Pro Bowl and four-time All-Pro selection, finishing his 12-year career in the National Football League with 136 quarterback sacks – the ninth-highest career total in the history of the NFL. He also holds NFL records for safeties (4) and consecutive games with a sack (11).
After being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004, having been acquired primarily for his long-snapping abilities, Jared went to work quickly to carve out a name for himself as a relentless pass rusher. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 2008 and proceeded to dominate the defensive line, becoming one of the most feared competitors to ever play the game. Jared also spent time with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers before riding off into the sunset following Super Bowl 50.
But to those who know him best, Jared will always be the adventurous farm boy who’s persistent enough to live out his dreams, while fearless enough to sport a mullet. Long known for his aggressiveness on the field, Jared is the embodiment of compassion off it, spending time with his wife and daughters, as well as working hard to make a positive difference in the lives of United States Military Veterans.
Victor D. Barbo, CPA brings over 20 years of experience to the board. As President & CEO of ProSportsTax, a division of Sink, Gillmore & Gordon LLP, Public Accounts, he has seen the company grow exponentially with clients in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and golf. Outside of the world of sports, his other clients include banks, professors, manufacturing companies, politicians, trusts, estates, non-profit entities, individual taxpayers, and businesses both large and small.
As a previous graduate of the University of Kansas, Barbo is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as a Writing Coordinator/Editor for Professional Tax Institutes, a seminar company providing continuing quality education for CPA’s, attorneys, and other professionals.
Andrew Limouris is the founder, President and CEO of Medix, a national staffing organization specialized in recruiting skilled personnel for clients in the Professional Services, Life Sciences, Healthcare and Information Technology industries. A staffing veteran with 16 years of experience in the industry, Limouris made the decision to start Medix in 2001 after the recession that followed September 11th left him jobless and prompted him to dust off his business plan for a healthcare staffing company.
What began as a small business with six employees in a tiny office space in 2001, Limouris and the Medix team have developed into a $100 million dollar corporation with 14 offices serving markets across the nation in less than ten years. Limouris has a steadfast commitment to organic growth versus acquisition. He has dedicated significant time and effort traveling to canvas new markets and open additional offices, cultivating Medix into one of the largest staffing agencies in America, according to Staffing Industry Analysts.
Since its inception in 2001, Medix has seen consistent growth year after year. Over the past five years alone Medix has grown over 450% and expects that strong growth to continue. As Medix approaches its tenth anniversary, the company currently serves 42 markets across the nation. It has received praise in prestigious business applications, including an Entrepreneurial Growth award from the Business Ledger, six years of recognition on the Crain’s Chicago Business list of the “Fastest Growing Companies in the Chicago metro area” and five years on Inc. Magazine’s “Inc. 5000.”
Limouris is a 1994 graduate of Ripon College with a degree in Communication. He currently resides in the Chicagoland area with his wife and three children.
Yvonne Dowdy Miller, CFRE, has served as a Development Professional since 1988. Miller started her non-profit career working for two social service organizations, where she served for over six years. In 1995 she started working for the University of Missouri-Kansas City as a Lead Development Professional for the School of Law and School of Medicine. Joining JDRF in 1999, Miller served as Executive Director of the Kansas City Chapter before being promoted to Regional Director and finally National Director of Corporate Development. In her 13 years there, she raised over $28 million dollars with an annual growth rate of 15.4%. She also led the Chapter to receive the highest honor bestowed by JDRF; “Chapter of the Year” was awarded to the talented staff and volunteers of the Kansas City Chapter.
In April 2012 Miller accepted the position of Executive Director of Advancement at the University of Missouri – School of Medicine. As a supervisor of four Development Professionals, she is responsible for a fundraising budget of $10 million. Miller also created several diverse fundraising programs and led a small capital campaign to begin Synergy’s first developmental program – Synergy Girl’s Home.
Clint Sundt is an employee owner with Sundt Construction, a large general contractor in the southwest. After graduating from Montana State University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology and a Minor in Industrial Engineering. During his career, he has been assigned several positions ranging from Field Engineer to Area Manager. As an active member in the construction and engineering community, Clint continues his involvement with several non-profit organizations, including The Sundt Foundation. After serving over 25 years in the Army, he is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Arizona Army National Guard today.
Friends of Clint describe him as a man of faith who is passionate about being a husband, father, American soldier, and an engineer. He loves the opportunity to help and serve members of the community and spending time with his wife Nicole and their three children.
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Alex Karalexis has a diverse background spanning athletics, construction and philanthropy. Alex first made his mark as an original cast member on the television series, The Ultimate Fighter. His talent and dedication led him to a successful seven-year career as a fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). It was during his time in the fighting world that Alex forged a meaningful friendship with NFL star, Jared Allen, and began training him in the off season.
Their bond transcended sports, and in 2017, Jared Allen entrusted Alex with a pivotal role in his foundation. As the Executive Director of Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors, Alex works to collaborate with corporate sponsors and private donors, facilitating the funding for construction projects nationwide. His responsibilities extend to overseeing all aspects of Veteran home builds, ensuring that each project meets the highest standards of quality and works for each individual Veteran recipient.
Alex’s vision, coupled with his hands-on approach, has been instrumental in driving the success of JAH4WW and he continues to make a profound difference in the lives of the individuals and families they build for.
I work with businesses to develop customized sponsorship opportunities that compliment your brand, promote your business and fit your budget to build a strong foundation for critically wounded veterans across the across the country.
The relationships I develop in my life are very important to me and I know first-hand the good that can come from them. In fact, the relationship with my best friend from college led me to my dream job with Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors (JAH4WW). It’s a job with a mission that is very near to my heart and inspires me to do my best every day.
I come from a military family – my Dad served two terms in Viet Nam with the United States Marines and received a Purple Heart. He passed away in 2017 from cancer due to the harm of Agent Orange exposure.
My grandfather, who served in the U.S. Army, lost a leg in WWII. He lived with us when I was a child and I vividly remember his prosthetic leg, which he couldn’t take off often and caused him discomfort. I never once thought about the lack of adaptations in our home for him. In fact, I didn’t even know that was a thing; it was just the way it was. Although it wasn’t easy for him or my parents – he couldn’t get in or out of the bathtub, for example – I never heard my grandfather complain.
Now I have the honor of working with Veterans who, like my grandfather, were wounded in a combat mission. The difference is, I help these Veterans get into a custom-built, mortgage-free home that provides the necessary adaptations they and their caregivers need to make their lives a little easier.
Playing a role in supporting military families when a wounded warrior returns home is exactly what I am supposed to do. My family background and upbringing provide a unique perspective for me, and it’s what drives me every day.
Further, the friendship that led me here is something that I treasure, like many of the relationships I’ve established in my life. And it’s because of the relationships I’ve established with this job – with our sponsors, builders, and Veterans – that I get to see the expression on everyone’s face when we unveil a new house and the veteran, and their family enter their new home for the first time. It’s magical.
If you would like information on JAH4WW, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or email me.