Helping a Hero awards adapted home to Marine veteran Michael Spivey

Helping a Hero said at a Veterans Day event in Sayreville, New Jersey, that wounded Marine and two-time Paralympian Michael Spivey will receive a specially adapted home in 2027. The announcement highlights the nonprofit’s push to expand housing support for severely injured veterans and its fundraising partnership with Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris.

Why it matters: - Helping a Hero says specially adapted homes can restore independence for severely wounded veterans and improve daily life for their families. - The announcement adds momentum to the nonprofit’s 100 Homes Challenge, which is designed to expand adaptive housing for qualifying veterans. - The news came on Veterans Day, tying the home award to a broader call for public support of military families.

What happened: - Helping a Hero announced at the grand opening of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Sayreville, New Jersey, that U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Spivey will receive a specially adapted home in 2027. - Johnny Morris, founder and lead outfitter of Bass Pro Shops, joined Meredith Iler of Helping a Hero for the surprise announcement. - The announcement was made during Veterans Day observances at the store opening.

The details: - Spivey is a Purple Heart recipient and combat-wounded veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. - In 2010, while serving as a combat engineer with Darkhorse 3/5 in Sangin, Afghanistan, Spivey was clearing improvised explosive devices to protect fellow Marines. - An IED explosion three months into the deployment led to the amputation of Spivey’s left arm below the elbow. - The blast also caused shrapnel wounds, spinal damage, nerve damage, significant hearing loss, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. - The deployment cost 25 Marines their lives and left more than 150 others severely wounded. - Spivey turned to snowboarding as therapy and later moved to Colorado in 2015 to train and pursue athletic goals. - He represented Team USA at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, and the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China. - Spivey now works as a motivational speaker and mentors others facing hardship. - The adapted home will be built around Spivey’s individual needs and will include accessibility features meant to make everyday tasks safer and easier. - Helping a Hero said the organization has awarded more than 200 homes to wounded veterans nationwide. - The group’s homes can include wider doorways and hallways, roll-in showers, accessible bathrooms and other modifications. - Helping a Hero also offers caregiver and marriage retreats, recreational activities and emergency needs assistance.

Between the lines: - The announcement also underscores Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris’ long-running support for Helping a Hero. - Morris has pledged to contribute 25% of the cost of the next 100 homes through the nonprofit’s 100 Homes Challenge. - Helping a Hero is using the Spivey announcement to encourage Americans, businesses and communities to support adaptive housing for wounded veterans. - The home award also frames Spivey’s story as both a recovery narrative and a public example of post-service achievement.

What’s next: - Helping a Hero is preparing for its annual Lee Greenwood Patriot Award Gala on Dec. 1, 2026, in Houston. - Lee and Kim Greenwood will host the event, which will raise funds for the organization’s next 100 specially adapted homes. - The public can buy tickets or tables, sponsor the gala, donate auction items or give directly to the 100 Homes Challenge. - Supporters who cannot attend can also purchase and donate tables for active-duty military members and veterans. - Helping a Hero is inviting the public to nominate wounded heroes and submit home applications online at helpingahero.org. - More information is available through event sponsorships and tickets and donations to the 100 Homes campaign.

The bottom line: - Helping a Hero is turning a Veterans Day tribute into a concrete housing commitment for one wounded Marine while pressing ahead with a broader campaign to build more adapted homes for severely injured veterans.