Home Depot Foundation , Inspiritus team up ahead of Ian anniversary
The Home Depot Foundation, in partnership with Inspiritus, worked to repair and rebuild several homes in the Harlem Heights neighborhood that were badly damaged during Hurricane Ian.
Local veteran Leon, and his wife Julia rode out the storm in their home before being rescued by a boat after 3.5 feet of water flooded their house. They have been displaced from their home ever since, having to rent while repairs are completed. Just down the road, Lester, who is also a veteran, was forced out of his home by five feet of flood waters. He lived in his car for three months following the hurricane and is currently living in a FEMA trailer in his front yard. There are countless stories like Lester and Leon’s, and homes across the area still in need of repair as we approach the one-year anniversary of the storm.
On Sept. 19, 50 volunteers from Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, completed much-needed repairs at five homes in the neighborhood, including Lester and Leon’s. The projects include mudding; replacing doors, floors and trim; kitchen cabinet and bathroom vanity installations and more.
After Hurricane Ian struck in 2022, The Home Depot Foundation committed $1 million to help the community recover from the storm, including an $80,000 grant to help Inspiritus provide immediate assistance to impacted families. In the aftermath, the Foundation granted Inspiritus as additional $200,000 long-term recovery grant for homes that experienced major destruction. Over the past year, with support from this funding, Inspiritus has been able to assist more than 200 homes and help more than 1,000 individuals on their path to recovery.
The Home Depot Foundation is committed to supporting communities with natural disaster preparedness, short-term response and long-term recovery.