Spring is in the air. The weather is getting warmer. Days are getting longer. Kids are playing outside. And of course, yard work once again becomes a priority after taking a break for the winter. If you’re anything like our family, the coming of spring means weekly trips to The Home Depot.
You probably already know about The Home Depot’s 10 percent discount for all active duty, reserve, retired or disabled veterans and their families. You might possibly know that The Home Depot has been named one of the top 10 military employers by the Department of Defense, GI Jobs Magazine and Military Spouse Magazine. But what you probably don’t know is that The Home Depot Foundation recently announced an initiative in which they will be pledging $30 million over the next 3 years to address veterans’ housing issues.The Home Depot Foundation kicked off the initiative by partnering with Fisher House Foundation, Volunteers of America and The Mission Continues to repair homes and facilities used by U.S. military veterans. But The Home Depot isn’t just providing financial support, its associates are also lending their time and home-improvement expertise to Team Depot, the company’s volunteer program, to assist in projects throughout the country.
“Some of that help is going to be financial,” says Bill Shuell, Home Depot District Manager of the DC area. “But some of it is also going to be a lot of sweat equity by a lot of Home Depot associates out there.” Shuell, a Home Depot associate for the past 8 years who frequently volunteers his own time, is heartened by the sheer number of people who sign up to volunteer with Team Depot. “When people get involved and they see the impact of what they do, it takes on a life of its own.’
Shuell, a veteran himself, explains that our country’s service members are so important to The Home Depot because the company currently employs more than 35,000 veterans and feels like it’s a part of the military community. “On any given day we have about 1,500 of our associates that are on active duty, deployed here in the states or abroad. I think that’s a big part of it.”
It’s no wonder The Home Depot employs so many military service members and has been recognized as one of the top 10 military employers. With over 2,000 stores in the continental United States, they are able to help their associates transfer employment as a result of PCS moves, which is particularly helpful for military spouses who struggle with establishing careers of their own while supporting their service members’ careers.
“We have the ability to help our associates transition state to state or coast to coast just by picking up the phone,” Shuell says. “We find ways to make that work.” Between employment opportunities, military discounts, and now the initiative for veterans’ housing, it’s obvious that The Home Depot Foundation is living up to its slogan “Improving homes. Improving lives.” as it continues to find ways to support military families.
For more information about The Home Depot Foundation’s initiative for veterans, visit http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/veterans.
***And don’t forget that The Home Depot will offer a 10% discount to ALL military and veterans for Memorial Day weekend!***
This is very cool. Thank you for sharing. And I am going to let my father in law know about the discount this weekend. He is a DIYer and a vet.
Thanks for sharing. We have a couple projects coming up and this just convinced me to buy my wood and screws at home depot over lowe's. I usually just go to whichever is closer at the time but I'll proudly spend my money or go out of my way to go somewhere that supports veterans.