Published Aug 25, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
National organization builds or modifies the homes of injured, ill or wounded veterans and first responders and surviving spouses.
Thanking veterans and first responders for putting their lives on the line for our country and for others is considered a gesture of respect and gratitude. For more than 20 years, the national nonprofit Operation Finally Home has put action and money into such efforts by building or modifying the homes of injured, ill or wounded veterans, plus first responders, in need. "It started out with just new home builds, and we put some numbers together," Operation Finally Home senior project manager Bryan Sykes told Military.com. "I think we averaged one new home build a month for the last 20 years. "And as the years went on, these homes got older. So, we created the home modification program that extended to not just our home builds but any home of a veteran that we can modify to fit their needs."
Operation Finally Home partners with Lennar and Beyond The Barracks in providing U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Nate Tomshack and his family with the gift of a home in Fresno, Calif. (Operation Finally Home)
The modification work might include a tub-to-shower conversion, window or door replacement, widening doors and hallways, or building a wheelchair-accessible ramp—all at no charge to the veteran or first responder or a surviving spouse. "I would say our average cost is around $25,000 to 35,000," Sykes said. "We've done projects as small as $5,000 for a ramp. But we've done new home builds costing as much as $80,000 or more. "There are literally thousands of veterans and first responders out there that need an accessible home or just need repairs and can't afford to do it on their own."
