Wounded Warrior Project Helps Support 100th Veteran Home through Strategic Partnership

On a warm spring morning in Northeast Florida, Army veteran Sean Karpf stood beside his wife and two kids and turned the key to a brand-new home.

This wasn’t just a housewarming – it was a milestone. The mortgage-free, custom-built home was designed with every aspect of Sean’s service-connected injuries in mind.

It also marked the 100^th home Wounded Warrior Project® has helped support through a partnership with Homes For Our Troops (HFOT), a nonprofit dedicated to building and donating specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 veterans to enable them to rebuild their lives.

“Wounded Warrior Project helped me rebuild my mindset. Homes For Our Troops helped me rebuild my environment. Together, they’ve given me the foundation to move forward, not just as a veteran, but as a husband, father, and business owner,” Sean said.

“This home removes so many of the daily physical barriers I’ve dealt with for years,” he added.

Sean, a former Army sergeant and weapons squad leader with the 82^nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, lost his left leg below the knee when he stepped on an IED during a dismounted patrol in Afghanistan in 2012. The blast caused a traumatic brain injury and severe post-traumatic stress disorder, launching a grueling journey that included more than 20 surgeries and 15 months of rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Now, more than a decade later, he and his family are settling into a fully accessible home in St. Augustine, custom-designed with over 40 major adaptations, including a roll-in shower, lowered countertops, pull-down kitchen shelving, widened doorways, and a 360-degree outdoor walkway.

The modifications will support the next phase of Sean’s life and are a direct outcome of a powerful collaboration.

A Milestone Partnership

Since 2018, Wounded Warrior Project has supported Homes For Our Troops by funding specific elements of 100 homes – including 360-degree outdoor walkways and bathroom adaptations such as grab bars, tilt mirrors, and roll-in showers.

That work is part of WWP’s broader commitment to uniting a community of support around wounded veterans and their families. WWP funds and harnesses the expertise of best-in-class organizations – a recognition that no organization can meet all veterans’ needs.

Since 2012, WWP has invested more than $436 million in 221 military and veterans organizations. In fiscal year 2024, the organization funded adaptations for 11 Homes For Our Troops homes.

“Homes For Our Troops is proud and honored to celebrate the remarkable milestone of Wounded Warrior Project’s 100th supported HFOT home,” said HFOT President/CEO, Brigadier General, USA (Ret.) Tom Landwermeyer. “Since 2018, WWP has partnered with us to advance our mission of Building Homes and Rebuilding Lives for our nation’s severely injured post-9/11 Veterans. WWP’s continued commitment and support help us get more injured Veterans into the specially adapted homes they need and deserve.”

A core investment goal of WWP is to support organizations that address financial wellness, including economic security and accessible housing. WWP’s Warrior Survey* found that 67% of warriors report financial strain – and stable, adapted housing is a powerful way to address that burden.

Jennifer Silva, WWP’s chief program officer, said the milestone with Homes For Our Troops shows WWP’s commitment to delivering impact through collaboration for warriors, their families, and caregivers.

“This milestone highlights what’s possible when we bring the veteran community together with a shared mission,” Silva said. “Wounded Warrior Project is proud to fund and work alongside best-in-class partners like Homes For Our Troops – because together, we can help warriors reclaim independence and help veteran families improve their quality of life.”

Opening Doors

On the day Sean got to see his new house, he spoke to friends, family, and supporters lining the driveway, telling the story of his military service and expressing gratitude about the new chapter ahead.

This home, he said, will give him all kinds of new freedoms.

“This house is wide open,” he said of the layout. “It’s going to be super easy to get around in my wheelchair and not look to [my wife] Brandy and say, ‘Can you bring me dinner?’”

“It’s a house without barriers,” Brandy added, calling it their “forever home.” “It’s a house for our family to grow old in and for Sean to be able to maneuver and relax after a hard day’s work.”

A huge part of Sean’s recovery has been fueled by a desire to give back to the community. He owns a business, A Leg Up Pressure Washing, and continues to engage with WWP.

After first connecting with WWP during recovery, Sean joined peer support events, bonded with other warriors, and participated in a career transition program that helped him enroll in college. That led to a kinesiology degree, then a strength and conditioning role with the Jacksonville Jaguars – a position he held until starting his own business.

“Wounded Warrior Project doesn’t just help with one aspect of a warrior’s life; it’s very well-rounded,” Sean has said before. “It’s not just handing out money. They are a hand up, not a handout.”

Learn more about WWP’s work with community partners.

To support HFOT or learn more, visit hfotusa.org.

*Warrior Survey, Wave 3 (conducted May 25-Aug. 1, 2023)

Contact: Julian Routh, Public Relations, jrouth@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.544.0195

About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project is our nation’s leading veteran services organization, focused on the total well-being of post-9/11 wounded, ill, or injured veterans. Our programs, advocacy, and awareness efforts help warriors thrive, provide essential lifelines to families and caregivers, and prevent veteran suicides. Learn more about Wounded Warrior Project.