Military family Catherine and Josh (last name withheld at the family’s request), along with their two young children ages 4 and 7, have lived near Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base since 2015. This year, Josh left on his first deployment for the Air Force, leaving Catherine behind to manage the household, the kids, and a full-time job.

Her busy schedule, further complicated by a broken lawn mower this spring, led Catherine to seek yard care help through resources at the Airmen Family and Readiness Center at Offutt. That’s where she found the contact for GreenCare for Troops.

“I went to the website and filled in the information, and soon they let us know they had someone available to come out and do the mowing,” she recalls.

That “someone” was Marcus “Duke” Pousson, owner of Marcus Lawns of Papillion, Nebraska. A Navy medic himself many years ago, Duke had seen ads for GreenCare for Troops in the pages of Lawn & Landscape magazine and decided it was a volunteer program he wanted to join. The call to serve at Catherine and Josh’s house would be his first opportunity.

On the first visit, he recalls that the lawn was “definitely in need of attending,” so he cleaned up the turf and provided Catherine with some tips on watering and basic care. He also did some fertilization and weed care but didn’t stop there.

“We have some huge trees taller than our house, and they were pretty overgrown in the back yard,” says Catherine. “He went back and trimmed those for us as well. He spent about five hours on the property that first visit, and three hours on the next one. I told him I’m just so happy he cut the grass!”

“She got a bit emotional, but I told her this is just something I do because families like yours do so much,” says Pousson. “I just want to give something back to them. It feels good to do something no matter how small it is.”

He also offered to repair the lawn mower, which he did at no cost, so it’s ready to go whenever Josh returns from deployment.

Duke continues to provide lawn care and yard work for the family, and it’s been a big burden-lifter for Catherine and their young family. And through the family’s Ring app, husband Josh has been able to watch and appreciate the yard care service across the miles.

“It’s wonderful to be able to know when the weekend comes, that we can relax a bit knowing that the yard is going to be cared for,” Catherine says. “Duke goes way above and beyond, and it’s such a blessing to have him.”

Are you ready to step up and become a volunteer for a military family? Register today at https://bit.ly/2fyOSqI

The Presenting Partner of GreenCare for Troops is Nufarm.  Platinum Partners include Toro and SiteOne Landscape Supply. The Silver Partner is Arborjet/Ecologel.