The Home Depot Foundation Announces $700,000 in New Grants to Nonprofits Serving Veterans and Active Duty Military Personnel

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Atlanta, GA - October 24, 2011 - As part of its “Celebration of Service” initiative to honor U.S. military veterans, The Home Depot® Foundation today announced $700,000 in grants to nonprofits dedicated to addressing the critical housing needs of U.S. military veterans as well as the needs of active duty military personnel.  Grant recipients include Detroit Central City Community Mental Health, Inc., Rebuilding Together-Houston, HeroBox and The U.S. Army Women’s Foundation.

Each Monday between September 11 and Veterans Day (November 11), The Home Depot Foundation is announcing grants to veterans’ initiatives for a grand total of $9 million.  Grants announced during “Celebration of Service” are part of The Home Depot Foundation’s commitment of $30 million over three years to veterans’ housing needs.  Learn more about the grants announced thus far. 

“The Home Depot Foundation is committed to ensuring that every veteran has a safe place to call home, and Detroit Central City Community Mental Health and Rebuilding Together-Houston are working to do just that by providing veterans and their families with housing services and home repairs,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president, The Home Depot Foundation. “In addition, Hero Box and The U.S. Army Women’s Foundation are providing critical support and education to active duty troops, and we are proud to support their efforts.”

In addition to receiving funding, each nonprofit will also be supported by Team Depot, the Company’s associate-led volunteer force:

Detroit Central City Community Mental Health, Inc., $300,000
Detroit Central City Community Mental Health Inc. (DCC) has served Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan for 40 years.  DCC meets the needs of more than 4,000 people annually, providing food, clothing, shelter, employment and treatment services.  The Home Depot Foundation’s grant will be used to:

• Renovate existing apartments to provide 56 units for homeless veterans and families.

• Provide opportunities for Team Depot volunteers to assist with interior painting and landscaping.

• The Home Depot’s product donation nonprofit partner, Good360 (www.good360.com), will provide linens, mattresses and hygiene kits for all 56 units.

Rebuilding Together-Houston, $300,000
Rebuilding Together-Houston works to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing home repair and renovation services at no cost to low-income homeowners in need, such as the elderly, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and people impacted by natural disasters.  In 2010, the organization completed more than 1,600 repairs worth $4.4 million for Houston residents.  The Home Depot Foundation’s grant will be used to:

• Assist 20 veterans with home repairs, such as replacing doors and windows, repairing roofs and electrical and plumbing systems, as well as making necessary accessibility modifications, including wheelchair ramps, door widening and grab bar installation

• On September 22, more than 300 Team Depot volunteers joined with Rebuilding Together-Houston to repair and renovate six veterans’ homes.  More projects will take place throughout 2012.

HeroBox, $75,000
HeroBox is a nonprofit organization that supports deployed U.S. service members by providing custom-made care packages designed to meet their specific needs while deployed.  Service members or their families can go to www.herobox.org and sign up for support, indicating the specific items they need…from toiletries to tools. Additionally, anyone interested in sending requested items to a deployed service member or unit can get specific information at the website.

The Home Depot Foundation’s grant dollars will be used to fund care packages for thousands of deployed service members.  Team Depot is also getting involved by personally filling 1,111 care packages in The Home Depot’s special orange buckets with needed items from The Home Depot’s vendors, including gloves, flashlights and batteries. Team Depot will fill the buckets on Veterans Day, and HeroBox will ship them to soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. Army Women’s Foundation, $25,000
The U.S. Army Women’s Foundation (www.awfdn.org/) supports women service members and their families in a number of ways.  The Foundation provides educational scholarships to women service members and their children; it provides resources to deployed women; and it preserves the history of women in the Armed Forces through the U.S. Army Women’s Museum at Fort Lee, Virginia.

The Home Depot Foundation’s grant will be used to support the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation 2012 annual symposium, which will focus on helping women transition from military life back into mainstream civilian life.  Team Depot will provide volunteers to assist with symposium logistics.

ABOUT CELEBRATION OF SERVICE
“Celebration of Service” is a major campaign by The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation to enhance the lives of U.S. military veterans and to highlight the needs and opportunities they face.  The campaign includes:

• 200 service projects: In partnership with The Mission Continues, The Home Depot associate-volunteers will be completing 200 service projects directly aimed at improving homes, facilities and community centers where veterans and their families live and receive services. 

• $9 million in grants:  Each Monday between September 11 and November 11, The Home Depot Foundation will announce grants of up to $1 million to nonprofits dedicated to veterans’ housing issues

• A gift card that gives back:  When customers purchase this specially-themed Home Depot gift card during Celebration of Service, five percent of the value placed on the card will go to The Home Depot Foundation to support nonprofits dedicated to veterans’ housing needs.  Gift cards may be purchased in our stores or online at www.homedepot.com.

• 3 Doors Down:  During Celebration of Service, when you buy multi-platinum rock band 3 Doors Down’s new CD “Time of My Life” from www.homedepot.com, $1 of the sale will go directly to support The Home Depot Foundation’s veterans’ housing initiatives.  The music of 3 Doors Down has inspired and comforted veterans, active duty troops and their families for many years

  To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation’s commitment to veterans and “Celebration of Service” campaign, please visit www.homedepotfoundation.org. 

  ABOUT THE HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION
  The Home Depot Foundation is committed to ensuring that every U.S. military veteran has a safe place to call home.  In April 2011, the Foundation pledged a three-year, $30 million initiative to address veterans’ critical housing needs.

  Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $270 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities.  To learn more and see our associates in action, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.

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