When veteran Ryan Sykes moved into a specially adapted home, he could prepare meals using counters he could roll under and shelves he could pull within reach. Homes For Our Troops also describes how an accessible bathroom made it possible for him to shower safely. Those details show what accessible housing changes in an ordinary day. Homes For Our Troops profile of Ryan Sykes

Home is where we make breakfast, greet friends at the door, and wind down at the end of the day. For veterans who came home with serious injuries, those simple moments can depend on the shape of a doorway or the height of a counter. All of us at Corona Shoutouts appreciate everything veterans have done for us, and this story is a celebration of what becomes possible when a community helps a veteran come home to a place that truly works for them.

Who Ryan Sykes is

According to Homes For Our Troops, Sykes joined the military at 18 because he wanted to give back to his country and explore the world. He spent more than half of his service on training missions in the United States or on deployments overseas. In March 2008, Navy Petty Officer First Class Sykes was on his fifth deployment to Afghanistan, serving as a special warfare analyst, when he was seriously injured in Eastern Afghanistan. The organization reports that a local security guard found him and alerted American troops.

Today, the profile says, Sykes is medically retired and keeps an active lifestyle. He makes working out at the gym a priority, enjoys the outdoors with his service dog, Docker, and likes camping, biking, kayaking, and swimming. He rides an upright trike and, according to the organization, has placed first for several years at the USA Cycling Para-Cycling National Championships. Homes For Our Troops marked his home as complete on January 15, 2022.

A kitchen designed for the person using it

Sykes’s previous home made routine tasks difficult because it wasn’t wheelchair accessible, according to the organization that built his new home. A counter with room beneath it lets someone bring their chair closer to a work surface. Shelves that pull down can put ingredients or dishes within reach. Together, those features make it easier to move through the steps of preparing a meal. Ryan Sykes’s home and its adaptations

The profile says he is relieved to have accessible appliances, a functional kitchen, and complete wheelchair mobility in his home. In his own view, as the organization describes it, those changes let him put his full strength and energy into his goals, including his cycling training.

The details that shape a daily routine

Doorway width matters when someone needs room to steer into another room or turn after entering. A step-free entrance can make it easier to get out to the porch or back inside with groceries. A roll-in shower can reduce the need to navigate a raised threshold in a wet area. Ask the person who uses the space which tasks they’d most like to do more easily. That answer can tell you more than a checklist of features.

The organization’s profile describes Sykes as an outdoors enthusiast and competitive cyclist. A usable kitchen and bathroom made room in his routine for other priorities. That’s one way to understand an accessible home’s value: consider what a person has more time or energy to do once the everyday work of getting around is easier. Homes For Our Troops profile of Ryan Sykes

A home that lets him give back

The story doesn’t end at the front door. Homes For Our Troops reports that living mortgage-free has given Sykes the freedom to give back to his community through his Rotary Club and to provide a better quality of life for his son. That is a beautiful picture of what support can do: a veteran who served his country now has more room to serve his neighbors and his family.

Sykes shared his own thanks with the people who supported his home. “Thank you for this chance to start a new chapter in my life,” he said. “This is an opportunity that I never dreamed of and one I shall never take for granted.” Those words are a lovely reminder that generosity travels in both directions.

It is also a reminder of what a homecoming can look like when a whole community pitches in. Homes For Our Troops builds each home with the support of donors and partners, and every adapted doorway, counter, and shower in that profile reflects someone who decided to help a veteran they may never meet. That spirit is alive here in Corona, too, every time neighbors rally around someone who served.

How to support adapted homes for veterans

Homes For Our Troops builds specially adapted homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans. Its official donation page lists ways to contribute, including giving in honor or in memory of someone. If you’re helping a group choose a cause for Veterans Day, share the recipient profiles alongside the giving link so people can see how specific design decisions affect daily life. See Homes For Our Troops donation options

The same page describes other options as well, including a monthly giving program called Operation Lasting Support, matching gifts through an employer, donor-advised funds, and gifts of stock. A tribute gift in honor of a veteran in your own family can be a meaningful way to mark the holiday.

Being a good neighbor

You don’t have to build a house to make a difference. If a veteran on your street uses a wheelchair or walker, think about the small things that make a visit easier: a clear path on the sidewalk, a seat at the front of a community event, or an offer to carry the groceries in. When you plan a gathering, ask ahead what would make it comfortable for everyone.

From all of us at Corona Shoutouts, thank you to every veteran in Corona, Norco, Eastvale, and beyond. We appreciate the sacrifices you have made for us, and we hope every one of you has a home where every room feels like yours. For more ways to show your support, read our guide, How to Honor Veterans on Veterans Day and All Year Long, and How to Help a Veteran This Veterans Day.