Giving dignity back to disabled vets one home at a time

A renovation project at a home in Georgetown just wrapped up. It's been a labor of respect for a Marine who refuses to be slowed down.

More than 100 volunteers from Home Depot and local veterans groups are widening doorways, remodeling bathrooms and building ramps and decks.

It's all to make life a little easier for Joey Jones.

The former Marine bomb tech lost his legs disabling an IED in Afghanistan.

But now it's a new life in Central Texas for Joey and his wife and this renovation effort bears that out.

Michael Reichert with the Home Depot Foundation says, "Pretty easy to see what Joey's done for his country...but in his home, his living environment wasn't conducive to living comfortably in his home. There are special requirements. He couldn't move from room to room without getting out of his chair for example...so this should allow him to live decently in his home."

It should also help Joey in his mission in life which is to help other vets.

He even started a peer visit program while he was recovering in the hospital.

And now he can actually move around in his own house.

Joey says, "At least in my home life I'll be able to do whatever easily in my wheelchair and in my legs...and I've never been in that environment before…definitely never at my own home."

It's a gift and thank you from the volunteers with the Home Depot Foundation.

For the last three years they have invested more than $80 million to give vets safe housing.

And they couldn't be more enthused about their latest recipient.

Reichert says, "Joey and his wife are remarkable positive and energetic...when we started he was like..."I'm embarrassed you're here, I've got so much and other vets don't...and I told Joey we've never told a vet 'no'."

Joey says he appreciates all that's being done. "To know there's that many people that don't even know who are trying to say 'thank you' is amazing and what they're doing here today is unreal."

It wasn't just the Home Depot Foundation that made this happen, they had help from Heroes Night Out, a local veterans group, and Joey Jones continues to work with vets with The Boot Campaign.

Click on the any of the following links below to get more information about those groups.

Home Depot Foundation

Heroes Night Out

The Boot Campaign