Volunteers ‘get dirty’ to landscape veteran’s new home
Apr 29, 2023
Volunteers form an assembly line to lay down grass. Photos by: Taylor Fruzzetti
Over 200 volunteers helped to landscape.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rebecca Mann and her service dog Sully address volunteers.
New England Patriots players Kody Russey, Sam Roberts and Cole Strange.
Volunteers plant greenery in Mann’s front yard.
MATTAPOISETT— Sully the service dog has a new backyard to run in thanks to over 200 volunteers that landscaped the new home of U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rebecca Mann.
Landscaping Mann’s yard was the last step to make her new single-level specially adapted custom Homes For Our Troops home move-in ready on May 13.
“It is very overwhelming but super humbling,” said Mann in response to the amount of fellow veterans, community members and even New England Patriots players that volunteered on Saturday, April 29.
According to Homes For Our Troops Marketing Director Kathleen DeVito, the national non-profit builds and donates specially adapted homes for post 9/11 veterans such as Mann who has received two amputations after serving in Afghanistan in 2014.
DeVito said that Mann’s home has 40 custom adaptations to aid mobility including wider doorways and pull down shelves.
“Rebecca goes from her prosthetics to being in her chair depending on how she feels,” explained Homes For Our Troops Director of Marketing Kathleen DeVito.
Volunteers worked to sod Mann’s lawn and plant shrubbery along the edge of her home.
Mann’s friend Josie Gordon was prepared to lay down mats of grass.
“I’m ready to get dirty,” she said.
New England Patriot players helped to prepare for sodding by raking the soil in Mann’s backyard.
“When you think about it she has sacrificed quite a bit,” said New England Patriots Guard Cole Strange referring to why he decided to volunteer. In addition to volunteering his time, Strange also donated to Home For Our Veterans through the charity My Cause My Cleats.
When it came to her new home, Mann said that she was most excited for the peace of mind that it will bring her.
“Just the single-level living and being able to live safely are huge,” she said. Mann said that her dogs Sully and Madi will accompany her in the home.
Mann said that has not been to Mattapoisett prior to seeing the lot for the first time.
“I fell in love with [Mattapoisett],” she said. “It’s beautiful.”
Mann said that she is looking forward to being a part of the community.
“At the end of the day, the home is a conduit for [veterans] to rebuild their lives,” said DeVito.
