The Home Depot Foundation Pledges $30 Million to Veterans Housing Issues

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Home Depot® Foundation announced a pledge of $30 million over three years to address veterans' housing issues. The Foundation's financial commitment will be amplified by associates from The Home Depot, who will volunteer their time and home improvement know-how skills to projects across the country.

"Our nation's veterans have made great sacrifices for our country, yet the statistics show that many of them face severe housing needs due to disability, lack of affordable housing and unemployment," said Frank Blake, chairman and CEO, The Home Depot. "Their plight is very personal to all Home Depot associates because we have more than 35,000 veterans who work for us and an estimated 1,500 associates serving on active duty at any given time."

The Foundation's initiative will kick off immediately by providing a total of $3.1 million to Fisher House Foundation, The Mission Continues and Volunteers of America to repair and rehabilitate facilities and homes serving veterans of all ages. In addition to funding, each of these partnerships will be supported by Team Depot, the Company's associate-led volunteer force.

Fisher House Foundation provides comfort houses for the families of veteran and active duty military patients receiving medical care at major military and Veterans Affairs medical centers. The Home Depot Foundation is providing a one-year $500,000 grant to repair and enhance many of the organization's 54 existing houses. Where possible, Team Depot volunteers will complete the work, ranging from making bathrooms handicapped accessible, to painting and landscaping.

"Our partnership with The Home Depot Foundation will allow Fisher Houses across the country to partner with skilled volunteers from local Home Depot stores to refresh and enhance our homes," said Ken Fisher, CEO of Fisher House Foundation. "Since we began serving our nation's military families and wounded warriors, over 142,000 families have been guests in our homes. We are grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for their generous support."

Volunteers of America is one of the largest nonprofit providers of affordable housing in the U.S., with a focus specifically on veterans, low-income families with children, the disabled and senior citizens. The Home Depot Foundation is providing a three-year $1.8 million grant to repair and rehab properties where veterans and their families live. First-year projects include the rehabilitation of residential facilities in Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami, serving approximately 275 disabled and/or homeless veterans and their families at any given time. Each project will include numerous opportunities for Team Depot volunteers to get involved as well.

"Our organization has served the needs of veterans for more than 60 years," said Volunteers of America National President Mike King. "We feel a deep responsibility to serve those who have served our country, and understand that safe, decent housing is the foundation for a successful life. Our partnership with The Home Depot Foundation allows us to address both the quality and the quantity of our veterans housing. It's the factor that turns affordable housing into homes, and makes the difference between simply keeping people alive and giving them a life."

The Mission Continues provides opportunities for returning veterans to serve as citizen leaders by leading volunteer projects in their communities or by completing fellowships with nonprofit organizations. Along with a $1.05 million grant from The Home Depot Foundation, Team Depot will work with volunteers from The Mission Continues to complete more than 100 community projects during 2011. In addition, a disabled veteran will be placed at The Home Depot Foundation for a six-month fellowship to assist with project management for all volunteer projects.

"Our veterans are an asset. We appreciate that The Home Depot realizes the value that these dedicated men and women bring to our country, even after their time in uniform," said Eric Greitens, CEO of The Mission Continues. "We are excited to bring Mission Continues volunteers and Team Depot members together in service to build stronger communities."

The Foundation will continue to evaluate and add new partnerships to address veterans' housing issues. For more information about The Home Depot Foundation's veterans' initiative, please visit www.homedepotfoundation.org/veterans.

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Special Olympics Georgia Receives Grant from The Home Depot Foundation

/PRNewswire/ -- Through its fourth annual Building Community Day program, The Home Depot® Foundation has awarded $20,000 to Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA). The donation will be used to grow the State Competitions which also includes the Healthy Athletes free health screenings at all events.

"We are excited and honored to receive this support of both collaboration and funding from The Home Depot Foundation," said SOGA Chief Executive Officer Georgia Milton-Sheats. "This incredible and positive recognition and support will assist us as we expand and enhance our programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the Atlanta community and statewide."

Through its Building Community Day program, sponsored in partnership with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, The Home Depot Foundation connects with some of Atlanta's most effective nonprofit organizations, which are focused on building communities through innovative programs and collaborative partnerships that fall outside of the Foundation's usual areas of giving. Twenty nonprofits participated in roundtable discussions and workshops focused on the theme of 'Social Innovation: Inspirational Ideas and Practices for Maximum Impact.' Each organization received a $20,000 grant at the end of day to support their work on a broad range of issues facing the Atlanta community.

"We are delighted to support and celebrate nonprofits in our hometown that have a long-standing commitment to making Atlanta a healthier and more sustainable city where families can thrive," said Kelly Caffarelli, president, The Home Depot Foundation. "Special Olympics Georgia deserves enormous credit for the work it is doing, particularly in these difficult economic times, and we are glad to be part of their efforts."

SOGA continues to serve people with intellectual disabilities through year-round sports competitions and training, health screenings, leadership opportunities, family networking and more throughout the state. Find out more at www.specialolympicsga.org.

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Special Olympics Georgia Organization Receives Grant From The Home Depot Foundation

/PRNewswire/ -- Through its fourth annual Building Community Day program, The Home Depot(R) Foundation has awarded $20,000 to Special Olympics Georgia. The donation will be used to grow the State Competitions which also includes the healthy athlete free health screenings at all events.

"We are excited and honored to receive this support of both collaboration and funding from The Home Depot Foundation," said Georgia Milton-Sheats, Chief Executive Officer. "This incredible and positive recognition and support will assist us as we expand and enhance our programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and to serve the Atlanta community and statewide."

Through its Building Community Day program, sponsored in partnership with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, The Home Depot Foundation connects with some of Atlanta's most effective nonprofit organizations, which are focused on building communities through innovative programs and collaborative partnerships that fall outside of the Foundation's usual areas of giving. This year, 20 nonprofits participated in roundtable discussions and workshops focused on the theme of 'Social Innovation: Inspirational Ideas and Practices for Maximum Impact.' Each organization received a $20,000 grant at the end of day to support their work on a broad range of issues facing the Atlanta community.

"We are delighted to support and celebrate nonprofits in our hometown that have a long-standing commitment to making Atlanta a healthier and more sustainable city where families can thrive," said Kelly Caffarelli, president, The Home Depot Foundation. "Special Olympics Georgia deserves enormous credit for the work it is doing, particularly in these difficult economic times, and we are glad to be part of their efforts."

Special Olympics Georgia continues to serve people with intellectual disabilities through sports and training, health screenings, leadership opportunities and family networking and more throughout the state. Find out more at www.specialolympicsga.org.

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The Home Depot Foundation Donates $100,000 in Atlanta Flood Clean Up and Rebuilding Effort

/PRNewswire/ -- The Home Depot Foundation and associates from The Home Depot(R) are joining in the relief efforts in the aftermath of the floods that have caused significant damage throughout the Metro Atlanta area this week. The Home Depot Foundation has committed $100,000 in donations, with $50,000 going to the American Red Cross for immediate emergency disaster assistance and another $50,000 to go to the longer term rebuilding process.

"Many neighborhoods were deeply affected by severe flooding this week, and we want to contribute to their immediate needs through the American Red Cross," said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. "But we also know that repairing the damage will be a long process for homeowners, business and communities. That's why we will also support the longer-term efforts by investing in organizations that will rebuild these homes and communities in a healthy, sustainable way."

Several local Home Depot stores have already been involved in emergency relief efforts through product donations to local cities. These donations have included tarps, wet patch roof cement, bottled water and buckets.

"We have almost 20,000 associates who live and work throughout the Atlanta area, so this is a very personal effort for all of us," said Caffarelli. "Store associates are already planning Team Depot volunteer events to help their communities clean up and get back on their feet. We are ready to roll up our sleeves to help our associates, neighbors and customers."

"People helping people are at the heart of our humanitarian mission," said Timothy M. English, regional CEO for the American Red Cross in North Georgia. "When good neighbors partner with the Red Cross to make disaster relief possible, it not only helps the families who are affected, it strengthens entire communities."

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The Home Depot Foundation Donates $1 Million to Hurricane Ike Recovery and Rebuilding Efforts

PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Home Depot(R) Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Home Depot, today announced the donation of $1 million to the recovery and rebuilding efforts in response to Hurricane Ike. The funding will be used for three programs:

-- $200,000 to the American Red Cross for immediate recovery aid for Houston and the communities along the Gulf coast of Texas.

-- $100,000 in clean-up materials for locally organized, community volunteer efforts, including the activation of Team Depot, the Company's associate volunteer program.

-- $700,000 to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) for rebuilding efforts in communities affected by Hurricane Ike.

Separately, The Homer Fund, a charity for The Home Depot associates in need of emergency financial assistance, has begun helping associates and their families affected by Hurricane Ike. Volunteers from the Company activated The Homer Fund call center more than two weeks ago to assist associates with their urgent needs of safe housing and other daily essentials during this hurricane season. To date, The Homer Fund has granted approximately $1.1 million to more than 1,350 associates affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

"The devastation from Hurricane Ike is widespread and we are moving quickly to help the residents affected by the storm," said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. "In addition to meeting the immediate needs of our associates and communities, we are also supporting the longer-term efforts by investing in organizations that will rebuild these communities in a healthy, sustainable way."

The Home Depot closed 53 stores in the Houston, Galveston and Beaumont area prior to Hurricane Ike making landfall. As of this morning, only 6 remain closed. In an effort to give affected associates the time they need to attend to personal matters following this storm, associates from other parts of the country are coming in to help staff the stores in the affected areas. Thus far, the Company has coordinated the transport and lodging for approximately 450 relief associates.

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The Home Depot Donates $300,000 to American Red Cross for Hurricane Relief and Preparation Efforts

PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Home Depot(R), the world's largest home improvement retailer, today announced it has donated $300,000 to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Gustav relief efforts along the Gulf Coast and for preparation efforts for impending storms Hanna, Ike and Josephine throughout the Southeastern U.S.

"Our neighbors in the Gulf Coast need our help," said Jeff Towers, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. "The Home Depot responded to this call, enabling the Red Cross to provide care, comfort and compassion to the people affected by Hurricane Gustav and future storms. I want to thank The Home Depot Foundation for using the Red Cross as their conduit of compassion."

Separately, The Homer Fund, a charity for The Home Depot associates in need of emergency financial assistance, donated $500,000 to 650 associates and their families within the first 48 hours of Gustav's landfall. On Saturday, volunteers from the Company activated the Homer Fund call center to respond to and assist impacted associates with their immediate needs of safe housing and other daily essentials.

"I am extremely proud of The Home Depot and what our associates have done to help our communities, as well as each other," said Marvin Ellison, executive vice president of U.S. Stores. "We take great pride in being there for our communities during tough times, and we are committed to helping these recovery efforts."

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