This article was posted by azfamily.com on October 15, 2019.
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – The U.S. veterans facility that gives homeless veterans temporary housing while they go through job placement and counseling programs got a major makeover Tuesday.
The Home Depot Foundation and HandsOn Greater Phoenix donated all the supplies and labor.
[VIDEO: Phoenix veterans facility gets a makeover]
Tuesday morning, 400 volunteers rolled up their sleeves and helped give the facility a facelift, which included creating a new pool and patio area, building 10 picnic tables, adding landscaping, and adding new flooring to 60 dorms.
Reggie Henderson is an Army veteran who has been staying at the facility with his dog for the past two weeks.
“I’m kind of excited to get up there and see what my room looks like,” he said. “I’ve never seen this much effort done for free, for us, for the vets. I’m more impressed than I am discouraged, that’s for sure.”
“It’s awesome,” Henderson added. “It puts your faith back in humanity.”
Volunteers are feeling grateful too.
“As we’ve been out here prepping and getting ready for this big day, we’ve had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the veterans,” said HandsOn Greater Phoenix CEO Rhonda Oliver.
The massive project has been months in the making.
“You can see it’s a huge undertaking and a lot of resources and big budget put behind this renovation today,” she explained.
“To have a facility like this, to take them in and care for them, and have Home Depot and the volunteers come out and show them some gratitude and appreciation for their service, it seems like a really small thing we can do for these veterans who have given so much,” added Oliver. “A lot of these folks don’t have any family. Don’t have anybody in their lives, and so for volunteers to come out and show them some love do some things on their behalf, it’s been very impactful for them.”
The renovation project is part of the Home Depot Foundation’s ninth annual Celebration of Service. Nationwide, members of “Team Depot” pledge to volunteer 100,000 hours and participate in 600 veteran benefit projects.
Visit HomeDepotFoundation.org to nominate a deserving veteran to receive a home repair grant for up to $25,000.
