(WFRV) – The Home Depot Foundation partnered with the LSS Veterans Homeless Services and Rebuilding Together Fox Valley to address the needs of veterans in Green Bay and a mother of two in Kimberly.
The LSS Veterans Homeless Services offers temporary housing, training, and supportive services to veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless to help them obtain permanent housing.
Their current facility on Bel Meadow Drive houses more than a dozen veterans and needs upgrades in repairs. That is where the Home Depot Foundation steps in.
The program’s associate volunteer force helped with several small projects, including patching up walls, installing new flooring, replacing doors, building a patio set, and much more.
“Originally, I said our landscaping outside is an eyesore, and I thought this was a great opportunity to get the landscaping portion taken care of,” said Katrina Currier, Site Director for LSS Veterans Homeless Services. “We were touring the facility, and I was pointing out things that could use improvement. Just little facility enhancements that not only beautify the program but ease up [the veterans] lives too.”
Local 5 News was able to catch up with Kylie Sweere, Team Depot Captain for the West Green Bay Home Depot, who said she’s more than committed to helping the veterans in the area.
“We actually have 35,000 veteran active-duty retired military associates across the company, so Home Depot is very committed to veteran causes and very happy to be helping our community.”
The Home Depot team brought several veteran associates to help with the project, making it all the more remarkable for everyone involved.
“Team Depot allows us to meet so many people in our community,” said Sweere. “It allows so many of us to work together, and we’re always open to having other people come and volunteer, even if you’re not a Home Depot associate. It brings people together, and I’ve heard so many good conversations between the residents and us. It makes me feel good, and it makes me feel like we’re bringing people together.”
Meanwhile, down in Kimberly, volunteers helped a mother of two children with disabilities make her home a little safer for both children by installing handrails throughout the house, repairing toilets and walls, and installing new bath fixtures.
“For Home Depot to come together and do all of this for me is just amazing,” said Amy Verkuilen. “There’s no way I could ever be able to do it myself.”
Verkuilen has myotonic dystrophy, characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. Team Depot Captain Wendy Winters said she was more than happy to volunteer her time to help a neighbor out.
“Those that are shopping in our stores and that support us in our communities, we like to give back to them,” said Winters.
This year, The Home Depot Foundation is celebrating 30 years of giving back to its communities through Team Depot. In honor of this milestone, the Foundation is investing $10+ million in community service projects nationwide in 2023.
