Jeanne and Richard Filip, first and last from left, enjoy a recent outing with Texas Sentinels recipients. The Filips are the founders of the Texas Sentinels Foundation.
The Texas Sentinels Foundation was created to give back to the military men and women of our Armed Forces who have served our country. Through their personal sacrifice and heroic dedication, we enjoy the freedoms and security of this great nation. The Texas Sentinels Foundation is an opportunity for all citizens to help create a better life for Wounded Warriors and their families. It’s an opportunity to say a “Texas-sized thank you.” We appreciate all of the support from the countless volunteers who have participated in numerous fundraisers throughout the state to help honor our Wounded Warriors.
Established by community-minded businessmen and championed by one of the world’s best-known real estate companies, the Texas Sentinels Foundation (501(c)3 organization) was founded in 2007 by Richard and Jeanne Filip.
The Filips own RE/MAX of Texas, and since the founding of the Texas Sentinels Foundation, many RE/MAX associates and offices in Texas have contributed time, energy and funding to help ensure the success of the Foundation’s mission to improve the lives of Wounded Warriors in Texas.
What we do
Major General Jimmie Jaye Wells and his wife join Texas Sentinel and Army SGT Andrew Miller and Texas Sentinels Foundation Executive Officer Susan Barlow for a photo during a recent fundraising event benefiting the Foundation.
The Foundation’s mission is to provide qualified members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were severely injured in the line of duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001 with support adapted for their needs.
The Foundation’s support, dispensed in the form of a Life Scholarship, helps these Wounded Warriors readjust to civilian life and prosper in their hometowns or new communities.
The purpose of this website is to tell the stories of these Texas Sentinels Foundation Life Scholarship recipients in an effort to encourage the community to support them and their unique needs after suffering combat injuries as they adjust to their new way of life after leaving the military.
Leadership
Susan Barlow is the Executive Officer of the Texas Sentinels Foundation.
The Texas Sentinels Foundation is led by its Executive Officer, Susan Barlow, who reports to the Texas Sentinels Foundation Board of Directors consisting of Richard Filip, Jeanne Filip, Charles El-Moussa and Brian Parker.
Barlow is a Gulf War combat veteran who has also served in Iraq, Southwest Asia, Europe and various stateside assignments.
Before accepting the position of Executive Officer for the Texas Sentinels Foundation, Barlow served as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army for more than 25 years and is a retired and highly decorated Lieutenant Colonel.
History
Wounded Warrior and Texas Sentinels Foundation life scholarship recipient Justin Feagin receives the keys to a new home built by donations from the community in Melissa, Texas.
Since being established in 2007, the Texas Sentinels Foundation has supported Wounded Warriors in cities across Texas including Arlington, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Victoria, The Woodlands, Melissa and Katy.
When it began, the mission of the Foundation was to coordinate teams of RE/MAX Realtors and other partnering organizations and businesses who would then rally around a Wounded Warrior to raise local money and support in an effort to build a home for the recipient. But in 2012, the mission of the organization has expanded to provide other services to Wounded Warriors on an ongoing basis – and independent RE/MAX Realtors are still some of the biggest supporters of the organization.
Richard Filip, Texas Sentinels Foundation founder, said it is the generosity of the Texas community that drives the organization’s effort.
“Community involvement is key, be it by contractors, suppliers, artisans or everyday citizens,” Filip said. “The community has embraced and accepted this opportunity as a way of saying ‘We want to help. We can do this. “It is the right thing to do. We have room at the table in our Texas communities.’”
