Owners Paul Fraynd and Hugh Morton combined their life-long passion for creating and maintaining managed green spaces and formed Sun Valley in 2012 after each independently started and built successful companies.

A full-service outfit providing landscape maintenance, design/build and landscape material supply services, Sun Valley has been a GreenCare for Troops (they participate in SnowCare for Troops as well) supporter since the program’s inception and we asked Ashly Neneman, director of business development, about the company’s involvement and what it has meant to them.

Q: How many years have you been involved with the GreenCare for Troops?
A: 8 years

Q: How many military families have you been matched with and what has their reaction been?
A: We take care of eight families at a time, but we’ve probably served hundreds over the years of our involvement. The families are constantly changing because of deployment schedules and reassignments. Their reactions are amazing – so happy and grateful that we are helping them and the word spreads fast in our city. There is a local military base and we’ve been presented with everything from mission flags, to cookies, to heartfelt thank you cards with family photos.

Q: What impact has your participation had on your company and employees who have participated in the program?
A: Our field guys take a lot of pride in being able to use their skills to give back to the community. They relate to the families and try hard to make their lives easier. The program has also gained us much respect in our local military community. Families are always calling for other services outside of Greencare or SnowCare for Troops because they want to do business with a company that gives back to their community.

Q: What does your participation in GreenCare for Troops mean to you?
A: It means being aware of what is going on around us – through this program we have realized all the families here that are left without a spouse or loved one. Or maybe a disabled vet that can’t get around to do their yard work. They are sacrificing for our county and so for us, our sacrifice is small compared to what they are giving. We get back way more than we give.

Q: What advice would you give to another contractor considering registering to be a volunteer for GreenCare for Troops?
A: Start with one lawn and you will feel amazing by using your resources to help out someone else. It’s a way for our industry to use our skill, tools and expertise to step up and be a part of something bigger. As of right now we are the only contactor in Omaha that is service Project Evergreen so we are determined to be ambassadors of this program and get others involved.