Home Depot® Pledges Funds for Homeless Vets

In April 2011, The Home Depot® Foundation announced a pledge of $30 million over three years to address veterans’ housing issues.  This includes a three-year partnership with Volunteers of America nationwide, including a $1.8 million commitment to repair and rehab properties where veterans and their families live.  Locally, as a part of The Home Depot® Foundation’s Celebration of Service initiative, Volunteers of America has received nearly $30,000 in Home Depot® grants to support projects at our veterans housing and employment programs in Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton.  

Cleveland

To honor the homeless veteran residents of the Volunteers of America Cleveland Veterans Resource Center, all 48 bedrooms got a new coat of paint thanks to 100 Home Depot® associates.  

The one-day painting project was made possible by a Home Depot Community Impact Grant which provided gift cards to purchase all paint and supplies.  The 100 Team Depot volunteers traveled from 10 area Home Depot® stores to lend their time and painting skills on their day off.

Columbus

Volunteers of America welcomed more than 50 Team Depot volunteers to its Columbus Veterans Transitional Housing and Employment Program in November to paint, lay flooring and make other facility improvements for a one-day project that was made possible by a $20,000 Home Depot grant and hundreds of volunteer hours donated by Team Depot, The Home Depot® associate-led volunteer force. 

The facility, which recently completed a $1.3 million renovation and expansion to relocate a veterans employment program on-site, serves as a transitional and emergency living program for 55 homeless veterans each day.  The program provides meals, shelter, substance abuse and mental health treatment, financial literacy education, access to numerous community resources and will soon provide career counseling and employment assistance.  

Dayton

Volunteers of America welcomed 35 Team Depot volunteers to its Dayton Veterans Transitional Housing and Employment program in January to paint the 36,000 square-foot, 55-bed facility.  The painting, as well as the installation of new doors, and donations of landscaping items, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, a microwave, gas grill and library shelving, is made possible by an $8,000 Home Depot® grant and more than 100 volunteer hours donated by associates from six local Home Depot® stores (Beavercreek, Centerville, Miamisburg, Piqua, Springfield, Trotwood). 

Serving Our Veteran Heroes

Throughout Greater Ohio, Volunteers of America serves more than 1,500 veterans each year by providing housing, supportive case management, financial literacy education, mental health and substance abuse treatment and job training and employment services.  Nationally, Volunteers of America serves over 7,500 homeless veterans through 37 programs in 18 states.