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Success Stories
Managed by The Home Depot Canada Foundation, TEAM DEPOT is The Home Depot's volunteer force that brings together employees to help the communities where The Home Depot operates through hands-on service.
Each year, Team Depot associates use their "know-how" to complete meaningful community projects, resulting in a contribution of more than 60,000 hours of volunteer time.
February 2
The Volunteer Centre in Granby received a much needed sprucing up thanks to the efforts of 14 The Home Depot associates from the Granby, QC store. Associates spent the day giving the kitchen a new floor, cabinets, counters and hardware. They also gave the bathroom a facelift with new paint, trim and a decorative mirror.
"The Home Depot is committed to giving back to the communities we serve through volunteerism. So it's only appropriate that we support this essential community centre that matches community groups with willing volunteers who can fulfill their needs," explained Eric Truchon, Store Manager at The Home Depot Granby.
Many of The Home Depot's vendors including American Standard, CIL, Stiletto, GE, Alexandria Moulding, Liveton, CGC and Coupe d'Or generously donated product and staff volunteers to make this project possible.
January 27
Associates at the Nanaimo, BC The Home Depot store are passionate about home improvement both on and off the clock.
They kicked off 2010 by helping the Nanaimo F.O.S. Non-Profit Housing Society – a provider of housing for individuals with mental illness - with a door installation project.
This project falls on the heels of a sustainable home build project the Nanaimo team helped the Habitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island affiliate with last year. The duplex home was built using environmentally sustainable materials to minimize the energy costs for the two families who moved in just before the holidays.
Rod Jansonius, Assistant Store Manager at the Nanaimo store notes, "one of the best ways we can give back to our communities is by offering our product and know-how to build homes that are healthy to live in and affordable to own for those who need them most."
January 13 & 14
The YWCA Crowfoot Branch began the New Year with a makeover. Ten associates from the Calgary Tuscany The Home Depot store came armed with building and painting supplies and got to work to increase storage and give the main child care room a fresh coat of paint.
"With so many people using the YMCA's space every day, it's difficult to make improvements without disrupting programs," said Kathryn Audet, Store Manager. "We were fortunate to have the opportunity to access the space to add some built-in storage and paint the child care room - small projects that will hopefully make a big impact for all who use the centre."
The YWCA Calgary Crowfoot Branch operates a number of programs that promote the spiritual, mental, physical and social development of individuals and to foster a sense of responsibility within the community.
December 18
Fifty associates from The Home Depot Stores across southwest Ontario packed boxes of food at Hamilton Food Share's distribution centre today. The effort was part of Hamilton Food Share's annual holiday food drive which supplies food banks across Hamilton-Wentworth with stock to feed more than 19,500 residents.
"Giving back and doing the right thing are two of The Home Depot's core values and what better time to give back than during the holidays?" said The Home Depot District Manager, Rachael Charley. "We want every family in our community to enjoy a nice meal during the holidays so hopefully our collective efforts will make that a reality."
After the food boxes were packed, associates helped load them into delivery trucks to ensure they made it to their various destinations in ample time for the holidays.
December 11
Breakfast Television (Toronto) and The Home Depot Canada brought the holidays into homes across Toronto by selling Christmas trees at Yonge- Dundas Square in Toronto for a $10.00 donation this morning. All of the trees sold were provided by The Home Depot Canada and its affiliated suppliers.
The Toronto morning show aired from the sale, allowing customers to mingle with many of the on-air personalities.
Proceeds from the sale will support the Daily Bread Food Bank, the hub of the food bank community in Toronto that supports over 160 member agencies in running a series of food relief programs.
December 2
Today, The Home Depot across Canada took part in Volunteer Canada's Resolve to Get Involved initiative that promotes volunteerism and celebrates the International Day of the Volunteer. Associates from 10 The Home Depot stores in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal completed a variety of projects including sorting toys and gifts for families in need and organizing donated building materials and furniture at two Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations.
Congratulations to everyone who participated in this remarkable global campaign!
November 20
Team Depot associates in Duncan, BC jumped into action this week as two rainstorms pummeled the region causing extreme flooding that led the province to declare a state of emergency and caused hundreds of residents to be evacuated from their homes.
After the first storm, associates created and stacked 5,000 sandbags to protect affected homes from the surging flood waters. Just days later, they were back at work in the Nanaimo region where a second storm was wrecking havoc. Additional sandbags, cases of water and clean up supplies were provided to residents impacted in this area.
Tim Robinson, The Home Depot Duncan Store Manager said, "our associates exemplified The Home Depot's core values by assisting local residents, even if it meant standing in frigid, waist-deep water for hours stacking sandbags. I couldn't be more proud of their collective efforts."
November 3
Fall was a busy time for more than fifteen associates at The Home Depot Saint John store when they volunteered close to 150 hours to make improvements at Hestia House, a transitional house and support centre for women and children. Together they completed a series of small projects in the facility's lower level bathroom and bedrooms including electrical and plumbing repairs. They also gave many of the rooms a fresh coat of paint.
Tia Gorman, Human Resources Manager at the Saint John store notes, "Women experiencing spousal abuse need a safe place to go. Our associates take comfort knowing that the repairs they made to the space will make this house safe and comfortable for those who need it most."
Hestia House receives government funding and support from the United Way but depends on contributions from local businesses and individuals to remain operational. The Home Depot Saint John store and a number of their supplier partners will help Hestia House with ongoing facility repairs in the coming months as part of their commitment to giving back to the community.
November
Recently, The Home Depot Canada Foundation provided Habitat for Humanity Toronto with a Sustainable Housing Grant that will support two developments and will provide 49 local families with homes that are healthy to live in and affordable to own. The grant has multiple components including cash, gift card and product as well as volunteer support provided by Team Depot, The Home Depot Canada's associate volunteer force.
In November, The Home Depot associates from across Toronto volunteered over 600 hours at two of Habitat for Humanity Toronto's current build sites. At the William's Way site, associates focused on getting homes enclosed to allow winter construction to continue. Meanwhile, at the Hainford Street site, associates used their know-how to complete finishing touches on homes that will be presented to the partner families just in time for the holidays.
Associates will continue to support these projects as well as a new build on Kingston Road that will get underway in the New Year.
September 30
Recently, a group of The Home Depot associates spent a day helping the Conseil Régional de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable de l'Outaouais (CREDDO) restore a section of forest in Lac Beauchamp Park classified as an exceptional forest ecosystem. The group removed invasive species and planted native species in a way that limits the number of footpaths through the forest.
"Our parks and forests are precious so we have to do all we can to preserve them," says Sylvain Richard, Specialty Assistant Store Manager at The Home Depot Gatineau store. "Our associates were happy to give back to their community – and it's environment – by helping with this project."
CREDDO is one of 16 regional environmental councils in Quebec that promotes sustainability, preservation and conservation of natural resources in the Outaouais region. Their project was one of fifteen supported with a 2009 Rebuilding Nature grant through The Home Depot Canada Foundation's partnership with Evergreen.
September 23
Recently, many of Habitat for Humanity Regina's tools were stolen when someone broke into their site storage trailer. When Gail Nameth, Store Manager at the Regina NW The Home Depot store learned that insurance would only cover a portion of the cost required to replace the tools, she reached out immediately to offer help.
"Habitat for Humanity is such a critical resource to families in need who live in our city," said Gail. "We value our partnership with Habitat - especially the opportunities they provide to our associates to use their skills and know-how on build sites. It is very rewarding work."
Gail presented Chuck Beaton, Construction Manager for the affiliate with a $2,000 The Home Depot gift card so the affiliate can purchase some of the essential tools they need to keep their current home builds on track.
The Home Depot shares Habitat for Humanity's commitment to providing affordable homes for Canadian families in need. Since 1996, The Home Depot has been the largest supporter of Habitat for Humanity in Canada and currently donates over $3 million in funding and product as well as thousands of volunteer hours each year to Habitat's housing projects.
September 17
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Edmonton's Camp Discovery is a place that 300 inner city youth frequent each summer break to meet new friends, explore nature and learn new skills.
Due to the high volume of traffic this facility receives each year, there is always an ongoing list of repairs to be addressed. This fall, associates from eleven The Home Depot stores across Edmonton helped knock a few items off of the “to do” list by volunteering their time to re-shingle the roof and re-side the camp's dining and assembly hall. They also painted benches and picnic tables as well as groomed many trails around the camp in preparation for another busy camp season in 2010.
“All children deserve to have a great camp experience in their lifetime,” said Jeff Tymo, Store Manager at the Sherwood Park, Alberta Home Depot store. “Now parents can rest assured that their kids have a safe place to socialize and learn in when they are away from home.”
Jeff and colleague, Paddy O'Neill, Store Manager at the Edmonton Strathcona store organized this project as part of The Home Depot's Month of Service campaign in September.
September 3 & 24
Though separated by geography, The Home Depot associates in Pointe-Claire, QC and Toronto, ON achieved a common goal in September – providing children with a new play space where they can learn, laugh and grow.
As part of The Home Depot Canada Foundation's commitment to creating vibrant, sustainable communities for Canadians, more than 200 The Home Depot associates worked together with two community groups and KaBOOM! to make each playground a reality.
“We are so happy to give back to our community,” said Eric Berthiaume, Store Manager of the Pointe-Claire The Home Depot store. “Words can't describe the feeling you get at the end of the build when you see the excitement on the children's faces. Great memories will be made at these playgrounds for years to come.”
Each playground will be built using environmentally sustainable practices and will incorporate “green” side projects such as native plant, vegetable and herb gardens and rainwater collection systems.
September - Month of Service
This September, The Home Depot celebrated its seventh annual Month of Service, a volunteer campaign delivered by Team Depot associates across Canada. Month of Service encourages all The Home Depot associates to contribute their time and know-how to complete projects that make a difference in their community.
In September alone, Team Depot associates contributed more than 21,000 hours of service to improving communities across Canada during Month of Service - from building playgrounds to beautifying parks to supporting affordable housing projects!
Congratulations to all The Home Depot associates who took part in this years' campaign! Together we are making our communities a better place to live for everyone.
Our History of Giving Back
- In 2009, The Home Depot employees volunteered over 60,000 hours to community projects nationwide, through Team Depot.
- Since 1996, The Home Depot has been the largest supporter of Habitat for Humanity in Canada, donating over $3 million in funding, product and thousands of volunteer hours annually to affordable housing projects.
- Since 1997, The Home Depot Canada has built more than 69 playgrounds and ice rinks in communities across the country with KaBOOM!
- Since 2005, The Home Depot Canada has worked with Evergreen to provide 104 communities across Canada with the funding, tools, materials and volunteers needed to complete urban stewardship projects through the Rebuilding Nature Grant Program.