A Celebration of Service with Home Depot

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Home Depot Foundation, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure

I left my home bright and early and made sure to take my #serviceselfie….

I knew I was in for a day that would be big.  A day that had me already in tears and filled with emotion on the drive up. A day I  knew would impact me for life. I couldn’t wait to see what beauty unfolded over the next few hours with Team Depot.

Team Depot and their volunteers, as part of The Home Depot Foundation Celebration of Service have committed for two months, from 9/11 to Veterans Day,  to put their talents to work to transform 1,000 homes for veterans. Home Depot is making an ongoing effort to address veteran housing challenges and serve those who have served us all.  Giving Back to VeteransWith the power of Team Depot volunteers, The Home Depot has transformed more than 13,000 homes for veterans.  Giving back to veterans is personal to The Home Depot – more than 35,000 of their associates are veterans.

Thousands of The Home Depot’s store associates spend their time off volunteering their talents as members of Team Depot in communities across the country.

Personally, as the granddaughter-in-law, daughter-in-law and wife of former veterans and as the mother of a son who is currently in Basic Training, it was such an privilege to be asked to spend the day honoring this soldier, and his wife.  Chris and Larissa.

Chris is veteran of the Iraq War.  In 2009 Chris’s vehicle was struck by an IED causing him to suffer head and and leg injuries. Those injured himself, Chris pulled several of his fellow soldier’s to safety, called in medical support and maintained security unit help arrived.  It was this action that earned him his first Purple Heart.  When he returned to the states, Chris married his longtime sweetheart, Larissa and then after recovering, was deployed again to Iraq.

In 20ll while serving as a machine gunner, his vehicle was AGAIN struck, this time by an EFP.  Chris suffered a severely fractured skull, neck and spine injuries and the impact stopped his breathing for an hours, resulting in anoxia brain injury.  Chris earned his second Purple Heart.

What Chris also earned was the respect and admiration of every person that volunteered to be a part of this wonderful day of giving back to a hero!

Chris and Larissa were able to purchase a repossessed property, but had even unable to properly remodel it.  The house had fallen into disrepair and had suffered wind and water damage, now was time to bring Chris and Larissa HOME!

From outside…..

To inside….

From women with power tools….

To men with hammers….

and paintbrushes….

….they each worked tirelessly to make Chris and Larissa’s log cabin, in the woods, a sanctuary!

Even the local Fire Department got in on the act!

Taking time out of their own service to give back to a local hero!

Without a doubt, though, the best part of the day were the smiling faces full of joy at being able to collectively say “thank you” to someone who sacrificed so much for us.

People who took time out of their day off from work to spend it working to provide a home for Chris and Larissa to safely live in and enjoy!

For a day, I felt like I was one of the team.  A team of hard working people that truly care about each other, their community and being a proud employee of Home Depot….

and that my friends is what the “true” Power of Home Depot is…the power to make a difference! To make a difference in the lives of men and women who have sacrificed so much for this country and for our freedom…that’s the  power of Home Depot!

I’d love you to take a moment to watch this quick video of the day!

Thank you Home Depot and thank you Chris and Larissa for letting me be a small part of this amazing experience.  May your home provide a place of peace and refuge for you for many years to come!