The Home Depot Foundation and 100 Team Depot Volunteers Give Back to Veterans with Habitat for Humanity across Chicagoland
Veterans deserve a safe home for the holidays…
CHICAGO (December 18, 2022) – Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity is proud to recognize that, in honor of Veterans Day, The Home Depot Foundation and nearly 100 Team Depot volunteers, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build and repair the homes of former service members across Chicagoland.
In addition, The Home Depot Foundation provided a $60,000 grant to support Habitat for Humanity’s annual Veterans Build in Chicagoland. The grant and volunteers are all part of Operation Surprise, The Home Depot Foundation’s annual campaign which aims to provide life-changing moments of surprise and support for veterans and communities in need.
The Home Depot Foundation also surprised 1,000 U.S. veterans across the country with rental and mortgage payment assistance for the month of December, in honor of Veterans Day. Since 2011, The Foundation has invested more than $400 million in veterans causes and improved more than 50,000 veteran homes and facilities.
Manuel Romero, Home Depot District Manager for the region and a Team Depot volunteer said “I really enjoy working with Habitat and the families they serve. It’s a great opportunity for us to give back to the community and, in turn, provide valuable experience to our associates. I look forward to growing this partnership for years to come. I am proud to work for a company that supports this kind of work.”
The Home Depot Foundation grant and volunteers enabled repairs to the home of Terry, a US Army veteran of the Vietnam War, who has experienced mobility issues since his exposure to Agent Orange during his service. Terry needed a smooth path to enter and exit his home with his oxygen tank, a fairly simple repair but one that was out of reach for him as a retired sales manager on a fixed income. So, he turned to Habitat for help, and in November Habitat repaired his deck and fixed the sidewalk leading to his back door.
Terry’s repair was completed through a collaboration of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley and Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity. Habitat of Northern Fox Valley received and approved Terry’s application and led the repair efforts. Chicagoland Habitat secured funding through The Home Depot Foundation, and volunteer support through local Home Depot stores. Habitat for Humanity is leading efforts to ensure that all our veterans have a safe, decent, affordable place to call home
Terry said, “It meant the world; they did what my wife and I couldn’t. It feels so wonderful to see that people really do care. My wife and I can’t thank the volunteers enough that gave up their time to help a vet.”
If you are a veteran interested in Habitat for Humanity’s affordable housing or home repair, please visit chicagolandhabitat.org/VeteransBuild. #2022VeteransBuild
About Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity
Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity was created as a support organization for Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the Chicagoland area, with a goal of significantly increasing the number of families served in the Chicagoland region. Habitat is committed to creating opportunities for individuals and families to thrive; to revitalizing neighborhoods and building communities; and to helping transform generations through home ownership. We do this by making housing affordable to hardworking people without access to conventional financing and offer individuals a hand up, fueled by our belief in dignity, self-sufficiency, collaboration, and hope. To learn more, visit chicagolandhabitat.org.
The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation the nonprofit arm of The Home Depot, works to improve the homes and lives of U.S. veterans, support communities impacted by natural disasters and train skilled tradespeople to fill the labor gap. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $400 million in veteran causes and improved more than 50,000 veteran homes and facilities. The Foundation has pledged to invest half of a billion dollars in veteran causes by 2025 and $50 million in training the next generation of skilled tradespeople through the Path to Pro program. To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation visit HomeDepotFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @HomeDepotFound and on Facebook and Instagram @HomeDepotFoundation.