Our Mission:

Improve the way guys think, feel, and act through every phase of their caregiving journey.

Our Vision:

A Global Community for Jacks.

Jacks are guys caring for a loved one with a catastrophic illness, and for most of them it is a world of relentless uncertainty and isolation. Two things that breed fear, anxiety, exhaustion, and depression. Two things that cause many guys to isolate themselves even further because they were taught that reaching out is a sign of weakness. But we imagine a very different future for these guys! Our vision is A Global Community for Jacks.

The community that we imagine will someday ensure every caregiver experiences renewal and solace every single day. It will someday inspire and equip every caregiver to face their challenges boldly, with energy, enthusiasm, and confidence. And it will someday give an entire team of highly equipped caregivers to everyone facing catastrophic illness.

OUR CORE VALUES

Compassion, 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 BELIEFS

That 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. 
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That creating a community for guys who are caregivers has the potential to improve entire communities.

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​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.

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.

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.

Our Team Leaders

Rachael Oelke - Fund Raising

Rachael, what's one super interesting thing about you?
Big and complicated construction projects are my thing.  It takes hundreds of people all rowing in the same direction to pull them off.  And when my team is doing that, when things are really clicking, I get to watch them be the magic, that's my favorite part.

Leading is hard, why have you chosen to do it for Jack's?
As a child I saw what a selfless cancer caregiver looked like when my mom cared for my dad while he was ill. I saw firsthand what a difference a few small moments of joy made for mom. I am passionate about helping caregivers find that joy on their journey.

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Breanne Ostrom - Fund Raising 

​Bre, what's one super interesting thing about you? 
​I love doing things just because I can.  Things like having a motorcycle license, a permit to carry, going sky diving, etc.  I like to get out of my comfort zone and try something new!
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Leading is hard, why have you chosen to do it for Jack's?  I love our mission and the guys that started it.  Listening to all of their stories is inspiring.  I also love that we’re serving a group that doesn’t always realize that they need help.

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