Since 2018, Andersen has partnered with Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors to help provide accessible, mortgage-free homes designed around the individual needs of severely injured military veterans.
Through the partnership, Andersen has donated windows and doors to 12 veteran families and home projects across the country. The manufacturer also supports the nonprofit through financial contributions and company matches of employee donations.
Most recently, Andersen contributed to a custom home for Marine Lance Corporal Josh Wege in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. Josh Wege, who sustained life-changing injuries while serving in Afghanistan, received the keys to the mortgage-free home alongside his family.
The residence was designed around Wege’s accessibility and mobility requirements, with the broader goal of providing greater independence, comfort, and quality of life.
“Building a home that meets the needs of a critically wounded veteran and their family takes a team of people who believe in our mission,” says Jared Allen, founder of Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors since 2009. “Andersen is an important part of that team, and we’re grateful for their support and commitment to the veterans we serve.”
Jared Allen, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Vikings defensive end, added that the partnership helps create homes “where veterans can live more independently, and families can make memories together for years to come.”
Designing Around Accessibility
For Andersen, the partnership also provides an opportunity to apply product selection and design considerations to the specific mobility needs of each homeowner. Depending on the project, those considerations can include wider openings, low- or zero-threshold transitions, accessible hardware placement, and patio door configurations intended to make movement easier between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Charlie Jackson, an account sales manager at Andersen, has helped project teams identify window and door solutions based on individual veterans’ accessibility requirements.
“My father was a World War II Marine, so supporting veterans has always been personally meaningful to me,” Jackson shares. “These projects bring Andersen’s work into focus because you can see how thoughtful product choices and accessible design come together to make everyday life easier for a veteran and their family.”
“As a 10-year Andersen employee, I’m proud to contribute my experience to help identify the products and solutions that best support each homeowner’s accessibility, comfort, and long-term needs,” he adds.
The homes are completed through collaboration among Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors, manufacturers such as Andersen, local businesses, tradespeople, and other supporters.
