Army Veteran: Operation Homefront Help Is ‘Meaningful and Life-Changing’
As food and fuel prices climbed and the federal government cut jobs in 2025, Army veteran Joseph “JJ” Morris faced dwindling job opportunities, growing needs, and a shrinking family budget that relied solely on his disability pay.
He struggled to find full-time work despite his military service record — including two deployments to Iraq — and a master’s degree from Harvard University. As he cared for his partner through a health crisis, he applied for jobs “like a madman,” he said. Two federal jobs were cut after he was hired for them but before he could start work and earn a paycheck.
Amid all the other concerns, JJ learned that his homeowners insurance would not cover a new roof for his Oregon home. He purchased the home in Tigard, Oregon, in 2009, after the real estate market crash. He knew it would be a good place to raise his daughter, who was then a toddler.
He was told that the house, which was built in 1999, had a new roof. After leaks developed, he learned that the roof was original.
“It was getting critical,” JJ said. “It had been leaking for almost two years, and we get a lot of heavy rain.”
Though he had remodeled the house room by room, replacing the roof was a job for a professional.
At a time when he and his partner could barely afford to put food on the table, he knew a $20,000 roof replacement far exceeded his budget.
“To know that there are donors that really care about veterans and military families is beyond inspiring.” – Staff Sgt. Joseph “JJ” Morris, Army veteran
A state representative shared information about Operation Homefront and its Critical Financial Assistance Program®, which provides short-term help for military and veteran families who are experiencing financial hardship.
Emotion and disbelief flooded over JJ when he learned his application for the roof replacement was approved and he would receive a $500 gift card for food.
“I cried like a baby,” he said. “It felt like such a stress and weight had been lifted off of me.”
JJ is grateful to Wounded Warrior Project, The Home Depot Foundation, and other Operation Homefront partners who made his assistance possible.
“It was at a time in my life when I was having so many doubts, feeling helpless, and feeling failure, and these people come along and help,” he said. “To know that there are donors that really care about veterans and military families is beyond inspiring.”
JJ joined the Air Force after high school, continuing a family tradition that includes his father’s service in Vietnam and his grandfather’s service during World War II. He chose to pursue a civilian life after completing a four-year contract.
In 2000, after a 10-year break in service, he enlisted in the Army as an infantryman. In early 2003, JJ began a 14-month deployment, arriving in Iraq before the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His unit’s heroism earned a Presidential Unit Citation and two Meritorious Unit Commendations, awards more significant to JJ than individual medals.
After the deployment, JJ transferred to the Army Reserve and sought treatment from the VA when he recognized he was living with PTSD.
In 2008, his unit was deployed to Iraq again for 14 months. He earned the rank of staff sergeant and received an honorable discharge in 2012 and focused on raising his daughter, who graduated from high school and plans to study music production.
He and his daughter’s mother co-parented, so he was often a single parent. He arranged work and college classes around his child’s needs.
He worked in human resources at the VA and also taught full-time and part-time. He completed a bachelor’s degree in archeology and earned a master’s in archeology from Harvard University. As jobs in the field have become scarce, he has turned his career focus to real estate.
He is also making it his mission to spread the word about Operation Homefront.
“The impact of your mission is profound, and the assistance provided to those who have served our country is both meaningful and life-changing,” he said. “Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. At a time when I was uncertain about how I would resolve my situation, your organization’s commitment to giving back to veterans and service members placed me in a far better position. I am sincerely grateful.”
