Jeremy Johnson has spent more than 17 years in the U.S. Navy, and he is still serving. He works as an aviation structural mechanic. Outside of work, he is passionate about lawn care, and that passion has grown into a small Jacksonville nonprofit with a specific goal: yard care at no charge for people who have spent their lives taking care of everyone else.
The organization is called Mows for Heroes. It mows, edges, pressure washes, and cleans up yards at no charge for veterans, military families, first responders, teachers, nurses and healthcare workers, seniors, and single parents in the Jacksonville area.
“What started as a passion for lawn care has grown into something bigger,” Johnson wrote on the organization’s About page.
The problem he kept running into
Johnson says the yard is not the hard part of the work. The hard part is getting people to accept the help.
“Everyone I’ve helped so far has told me some version of that,” he wrote, describing the phrase he hears most: “I don’t deserve this.” He added: “A lot of people, mainly veterans, don’t like to ask for help. They would rather let the grass grow than take something they think someone else needs more.”
He says his answer is the same every time. No matter what someone’s service looked like, they have earned the help.
Jeremy Johnson, founder and president of Mows for Heroes. Photo: Mows for Heroes Inc.
Why the model runs on nominations
That reluctance shaped how the organization works. Instead of waiting for people to apply, Mows for Heroes is built around nominations. A neighbor, relative, or friend tells the nonprofit about someone who could use a hand, and the organization quietly reaches out to ask if they want it.
People can also ask for help for themselves, and the organization says they do not need to explain why they deserve it. It does not share a person’s name, face, or home without permission.
The approach fits how Americans already help each other. A USAFacts summary of the 2023 Census Bureau and AmeriCorps civic life survey found that veterans were more likely than non-veterans to help their neighbors informally, the kind of help that happens outside any program. Across states, formal volunteering through an organization ranged from about 19% to 47% of residents.
The need in Florida
Florida is a large place to start that kind of work. The Census Bureau’s QuickFacts profile for Florida counts 1,327,071 veterans living in the state in its 2020 to 2024 estimates. The same profile puts residents 65 and older at 22.8% of the population, well above the national share of 18.9%.
Florida’s share of older residents is well above the national figure. Chart: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts data.
Duval County, home to Jacksonville, sits closer to the national average at 17.3%. Even so, a yard that was easy to keep at 50 can be a heavy job at 80, and in northeast Florida the grass grows for much of the year.
Who does the work
Mows for Heroes runs on people. Volunteers bring mowers, blowers, and trimmers, or simply show up to rake and bag. Others lend a truck or a trailer for the day. Local lawn businesses can sign on as volunteer affiliates by giving a crew and an open slot to a mission, while keeping their own name and branding.
The first business named on its partner wall is First Coast Lawn Care, a veteran-owned Jacksonville lawn company that worked the organization’s second mission alongside its volunteers.
Joining does not take much. The volunteer sign-up form asks what someone can help with, from mowing and edging to pressure washing, clean-up, or lending equipment, and when they are usually free: weekday mornings, weekday evenings, Saturdays, or Sundays. The organization asks volunteers to bring work gloves, closed-toe shoes, water, and sun protection, plus their own mower, blower, or trimmer if they have one. It confirms the details for each mission before anyone arrives, and it says plainly that two hands are plenty.
So far, Mows for Heroes reports two completed missions and two more in progress:
- Mission #1: an overgrown fenced backyard and side yard, cut back and cleaned up in a day.
- Mission #2: a sloped front lawn with knee-high grass and a wooded back lot buried in leaves.
- Mission #3: a waterfront deck and walkway being cleared of pine needles and clutter.
- Mission #4: in progress, with details to come once the owner agrees to share.
How it is funded and organized
The work is paid for through donations and merchandise. Supporters can give once or monthly, and the organization sells shirts, hats, and stickers through its online store. The money goes to the basics of every job: gas, blades, trimmer line, and bags.
Mows for Heroes Inc. is a Florida nonprofit corporation and a registered Florida charity (registration CH85966). Its application for federal 501(c)(3) status is pending with the IRS.
The organization’s tagline sums up the idea: “Giving Back. One Yard at a Time.”
