100 volunteers help spruce up new home for disabled vet

BURLINGTON, N.C. — Dozens of volunteers turned out this weekend to help give a disabled veteran a new home.

Marine Corporal Garrett Carnes, of North Carolina, lost both of his legs after walking over an IED in Afghanistan in 2012.%

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A few years ago, Carnes reached out to the nonprofit called

. The organization builds specially adapted, mortgage free-free homes for severely injured veterans post 9/11.

His current home in Mooresville, North Carolina,

.

has stepped up and created a new, handicap accessible-accessible home for Carnes and his family in Burlington.

“It’s a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders,”

. “The hallways will be wide, the floors will be hardwood, it'll be easy to roll across with the wheelchair with no effort. Everything will be in reach from the wheelchair.”

Saturday, about 100 volunteers showed up to help landscape the outside of Carnes’ new home.

Volunteers spend the day laying sod, planting trees and flowers, and washing the side of the house.

Katelyn Donovan with Homes For Our Troops

that people from the area were excited to get involved with the project.

“[There’s just] a sense of appreciation for Corporal Carnes, and this is just everybody giving back,” Donovan said. “This is a great opportunity for the community to get some hands-on involvement with the build project and learn more about Homes For Our Troops.”

Carnes has a wife and two kids. The family is looking forward to getting the new keys to their home in a few weeks.

Cox Media Group