‘It leaves me speechless.’ Nonprofit, volunteers help landscape new home for veteran in Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS — A local veteran will be given a donated house with special adaptations made just for him, thanks to the help of a nonprofit and volunteers. 

The nonprofit, Homes For Our Troops, is based in Massachusetts. It builds and donates specially adapted homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans across the United States. 

On Saturday, the organization, along with dozens of people in the community, gathered together on “Volunteer Day” and helped lay sod and landscape a yard for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Byers at what will be his new home off Helix Boulevard in Idaho Falls.  

“It’s just more than words can say, honestly. It leaves me speechless. I was expecting maybe five people to be here.  All the neighbors showed up. Most of my family showed up. It just makes you feel overwhelmed a little bit, but absolutely joyous and welcomed,” Byers told EastIdahoNews.com. 

Byers, serving on his third deployment, stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) in July 2012 in Afghanistan. He lost both his legs below the knees. 

He now has prosthetic legs and a wheelchair to help him in his everyday life. There have been good days and bad days. He can’t always be in his prosthetic legs. 

“I’ll get ingrown hairs or pressure cysts or some sort of injury on my leg,” he said.

Watch the YouTube video to learn more about his story.

Currently, Byers lives in a two-story home. It’s been difficult with a wheelchair. His five kids try to help out as much as they can. The doorways never fit his wheelchair.

“You always have to stop the wheelchair at the door, get out and knee (sic) your way over there. It just gets old,” Byers said.  

However, this new home will change everything. It’s one-level with over 40 special adaptations.

“It’s got lowered light switches, where they are a little bit lower than a standard house. Counters are lower. The sink has a roll-in spot for a wheelchair so that you could do the dishes from your wheelchair,” Byers said. “Roll-in shower, roll-in toilet area. The toilet area is nice and big, so that you can get a wheelchair in and out comfortably without damaging a wall.”

Annmarie Brock with Homes For Our Troops explained the nonprofit began in 2004 and has built over 400 homes in the United States. It’s fully funded by donations.

“When a veteran applies for our program … we then bring them in if they’re approved. Once that happens, they get to pick where they want to live, with the exception of Hawaii, New York City, anything that’s completely cost-prohibitive,” she said. 

Brock said they will search for flat land because they will build a 360-degree walkway for the veteran. They will then find a builder and general contractor and get started. 

She said that there’s a nice touch, too, where people in the community sign boards to add to the home. 

“What our builder does is he takes those boards and makes them into something special. It could be a bench, it could be something for the wall, but it’s something that everyone has signed, and it’s like a little welcome to the community kind of thing,” Brock said. 

The organization currently has 77 ongoing projects across the U.S. Click here to learn more. Donate to the organization here.

“This is just the beginning of what we do. Some veteran nonprofits build a house, and then they say, ‘Adios!’ We build the home, and then they’re actually part of our family. So they’re connected to us forever. We check in, we make sure everything’s going well,” she added. 

Byers will be able to move into the home sometime in September, when it is all completed. He said he is very grateful to the volunteers and everyone involved. 

“I want to thank them for being here; for donating their time and their energy. Thank you for giving me that. I hope that they get paid back tenfold. I really do. I hope if there’s anything I can ever do for any of them, I’ll be there in a heartbeat,” Byers said.