U.S. Army Veteran Jamie Willis was looking for a hobby and came up with a brilliant way to help his fellow man.

While also recycling AND keeping himself from sinking into depression.

Willis came up with the idea to help others after discovering something he himself needed help with. That’s how Canes for Veterans Central Texas was born.

“I went through depression bad. There were times when I almost took my own life,” Willis, 50, told PEOPLE in 2020. “Making the canes actually brought me back from the brink of suicide. I don’t know what it was, but I think this is my actual calling.”

Serving in the U.S. Army for eight years left Willis 100 percent disabled.

He was unable to work due to his PTSD and back injury, which temporarily left him partially paralyzed.

He required a cane to get around and wanted one that was sturdy and not horrendously ugly.

He wasn’t a fan of the cane he was given by Veterans Affairs. Not only was it not stylish, but also dangerous.

It kept collapsing, putting his health at further risk.

Like so many veterans, Willis had to rely on a non-profit for help rather than the government he sacrificed his health for.

Willis reached out to Free Canes for Veterans in Florida but was told there weren’t any canes left.

Instead, the man who ran the organization, Oscar Morris, showed Willis how to make his own.

His first cane was a success, prompting Willis to ask Morris if he could start his own branch as Canes for Veterans Central Texas. Morris was very enthusiastic about it.

Willis proceeded to make and deliver more than 200 canes to veterans living throughout the world.

Willis is reported to be the fifth veteran who started an offshoot of the non-profit. Willis crafts his canes from used Christmas tree donations.

He can get at least one cane out of each tree. It will typically take one to five days to make, package, and ship a cane.

Sometimes the vet receiving the cane will pay for shipping.

But Willis often will pay for shipping and the other costs of running the operation out of his own pocket and through donations. In addition to bodily support, the canes are also meant to give veterans a mental boost.

“One day, grab a cane and walk with it,” Morris said. “You will feel broken because others will see you as broken. We make our canes for veterans to look ‘cool’ while giving honor for their service.”

Willis said he gets extreme joy from seeing another veteran put down that “ugly metal cane” and pick up one of his handmade pieces.

“To see them stand proud with it and treat it like a piece of artwork, and for them to almost go into tears because I’d taken the time to make them something from my heart, it meant so much,” he said.

Willis also tries to customize his cane per each veteran’s wishes, sometimes adding their name or the year and places they served in.

You can learn more about Canes for Veterans Central Texas on Facebook or check out the video below.

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Source: NFM TV, People, CNN