Time to dust off your landscaping gloves. It's time to landscape the Morris family's new home in Elberta.

On April 1, 2023, the Elberta community rolled out the red carpet for U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jonny Morris II, his wife and two children. The celebration was a kickoff to the construction of a new home for the Morris family.

Morris was selected to receive a new, mortgage-free, accessible home from Homes For Our Troops. In 2023, the organization had 76 homes under construction for post-9/11 war veterans with life-altering injuries. Since 2004, Homes For Our Troops has built over 353 mortgage-free homes.

During his deployment to Afghanistan in 2011, Morris sustained severe injuries to both of his legs, including the amputation of his left foot, after he stepped on an improvised explosive device. The home the Morris family moved into upon their return to South Alabama was built in the 1950s. The doorways, hallways and kitchen are narrow, and the show is small. After a long day of wearing his prosthetic, Morris wants nothing more than to come home, kick off his shoe and leg, get into his wheelchair and relax. In his current home, he can't.

The Morris family could pick anywhere in the United States for their new home, and they chose Elberta. Both Morris and his wife grew up in the area and graduated from Robertsdale High School.

"It is amazing. We love the community. We love Elberta. The schools are great, and we have lots of friends here," Morris said in a previous interview with Gulf Coast Media. "It is home."

Construction of the Morris family's 2,800 square-foot, accessible home is wrapping up and Homes For Our Troops is hosting a community volunteer day, Jan. 13. To volunteer, individuals should RSVP by visiting www.hfotusa.org/building-homes/veterans/jmorris.

Homes For Our Troops Volunteer Day is a time to welcome the community to lend a hand to make Morris's new home complete. The event is rain or shine. Bring your garden gloves and get into the dirt. Volunteers will receive a Homes For Our Troops T-shirt and lunch. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m., landscaping from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information or questions, contact community outreach coordinator Niqui LaViolette at Nlaviolette@hfotusa.org.