Vision:
A world where guy caregivers never feel alone.
Mission:
Improve the way guys think, feel, and act through every phase of their caregiving journey.
Who We Serve:
Anyone 18 and older who has cared for a loved one facing a health crisis. This includes anyone who has lost their loved one as well as anyone whose health crisis is currently in remission. While the purpose of our work is centered on guy caregivers (anyone who identifies as a guy), we also offer a variety of coed programming opportunities.
OUR CORE VALUESCompassion, we strive to improve lives. Our staff, our volunteers, our partners, and our clients are all getting better with our help.
Courage, we bring our boldest selves to our biggest challenges, boldly striving for all of our potential. Resilience, striving for excellence is exhausting. But we press on, patiently learning from every surprise. Respect, we respect every individual, make every effort to understand each other, take responsibility, and build mutual trust. |
OUR BELIEFSThat one of the biggest and most important challenges a guy can face in his lifetime is that of caring for a loved one with a catastrophic illness.
That every guy has the potential to rise that challenge and bring his boldest most confident self to it. That when guys fully engage with their role as a caregiver that the wellness of the loved ones they care for, the wellness of their own selves, and the wellness of their entire families will be significantly improved. That creating a community for guys who are caregivers has the potential to improve entire communities. |
OUR FOUNDERS
KYLE WOODY, Executive Director
"Kyle, I'm here to serve you." Those words hit me like lightening. I didn't have cancer. I was "fine". It took me years to fully grasp the power of Jack's simple message, "serve the caregiver". There was nothing fine about how I was doing. And if I was struggling then how could expect anyone else in my family to thrive? Soon it was my turn to serve! First I found Justin, then Justin and I teamed up and found Dustin. And now the three of us serve by leading a rapidly growing organization that will continue to bring Jack's message to life long after the three of us are gone.
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JUSTIN NICOLAY
Boats, beer, bikes and Star Trek? Sounds like a hell of a party, right?! What else would a MN'n with a wife and son do for fun on a Saturday night? I guess skiing and shoveling snow should be in there too. Jack's, to me, is about being the change I want to see in the world. That means helping people less familiar with the lake know where the shallows are so they don't bend their prop or sink. That means sharing a beer with a friend and talking about how the world just ain't right sometimes - and they get it. That means continuing to pedal that tandem bike when your partner is "exhausted" and they aren't going to help you up that really steep hill. Live long and prosper.
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DUSTIN CESAREK
Life after a cancer diagnosis can sometimes feel like walking through the snow, uphill both ways, and you don't even know what way your going or how the journey is going to end. Meeting Kyle and Justin has changed my life. It gave me an opportunity to reflect on how hard it was to be the best husband and father I could be when at times I felt like I could barely keep my own head above water - and then do something about it. Now, with Jack's, I have the ability to pay that forward. I can only hope that we can make the caregiving journey a little less difficult for the guys that come after us. To create a space where they can be themselves, and not lose their identity to cancer.
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