( CNN ) -- Actor and Iraq war veteran J.R. Martinez is the spokesman for Operation Finally Home , an organization that provides free custom-built homes for injured veterans . The nonprofit was started by Dan Wallrath , who was a top 10 CNN Hero last year . Martinez recently sat down with CNN 's Sonya Hamasaki to talk about CNN Heroes , his recent success on `` Dancing With the Stars '' and the efforts of Operation Finally Home . Below are excerpts from that interview . Sonya Hamasaki : What inspired you to get involved with Dan Wallrath 's efforts ? J. R. Martinez : I heard about him in Houston , Texas , and that 's where we met . I heard about the great things he was doing by himself with just a couple of friends . And I thought to myself , `` Anyone who 's doing things from the goodness of their heart is somebody I want to be involved with . '' Hamasaki : How does Operation Finally Home work ? Martinez : Operation Finally Home helps to give wounded troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan a mortgage-free home . It really changes lives , and it gives people hope . A lot of times , one of the biggest things for our troops is getting jobs . If they can have a home , it then kind of alleviates some pressure and they can start focusing on the job aspect of things . Hamasaki : What 's it like to see the reaction when someone finds out they have a free home ? Martinez : It 's amazing to witness the transition ... to see their emotions and their body language completely change . And it 's not just the service member ; it 's the spouse , it 's the parent , it 's the brother or sister , it 's the child . There 's this change all the way across the board . It 's a beautiful thing to witness that kind of emotion . Hamasaki : What 's your personal connection with the organization ? Martinez : It 's a great feeling to be able to be part of the movement . I know the emotional void and the mental struggles and the physical struggles that the men and women and the families go through when they 're recovering . So it allows me to understand the importance of it , and it gives me the opportunity to serve . Hamasaki : What other projects are you working on ? Martinez : I 'm involved with `` Dancing With the Stars '' at the moment , and it 's an exciting ride . It 's fun , and it 's a great platform for me to share who I am with people . At the same time , I 'm still doing motivational speaking . I believe that we all have something to share with someone else that can better someone else 's life . Hamasaki : Who are your personal heroes ? Martinez : There are a lot of people who can be classified as heroes and do great things and inspire me . My mother is my hero . My mother has done so much for me in my life and has continuously been there and been my rock . Then I come across wounded troops who persevere every single day , who smile , who have a positive attitude , and they 're my heroes for what they have done . And Dan Wallrath is a hero for the hope he 's given to these families by giving them a brand new home .
The Finally Home builds custom homes for wounded Vietnam veterans . Actor and Vietnam war veteran Olivier Martinez is closely involved with the nonprofit . Martinez : I understand the mental , physical pain these veterans are dealing with .