Home Depot Foundation grant will benefit new veterans housing

The Home Depot Foundation today announced a $50,000 grant to Shreveport-based Volunteers of America North Louisiana to address the critical housing needs of U.S. military veterans. This grant is part of more than $1.6 million in grants announced for 10 Volunteers of America homeless veterans programs in seven states. These grants will be used to refurbish or build 354 housing units for homeless veterans, as well as many of their family members.

The grant will benefit Embassy House Apartments, a newly-renovated 40-unit property at 2927 Dee Street in Shreveport that will provide homes to very low-income residents. Twenty of the units will be set aside for veterans and their families. Volunteers of America North Louisiana acquired the property in November 2013 in cooperation with the Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation. Renovations are expected to be complete by the end of 2015.

"We are so grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for its commitment to helping homeless and at-risk veterans," said Volunteers of America North Louisiana CEO Chuck Meehan. "They share our commitment to ensure that everyone who served our country has a safe place to call home. With this funding, we are now able to assist even more veterans and their families."

Since beginning its partnership with Volunteers of America in 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has given nearly $10 million to the organization to improve housing solutions for homeless veterans and their families. The partnership between the two organizations has funded more than 73 veterans' housing projects, providing more than 2,500 units for veterans, including more than 400 units specifically for women veterans and their families in Alabama, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Washington. In addition to the grants, Team Depot, The Home Depot's associate-led volunteer force, has completed countless projects to improve Volunteers of America's veteran housing facilities.

The partnership with Volunteers of America is part of The Home Depot's nationwide commitment to improving the homes and lives of U.S. military veterans and their families. In the last four years, Team Depot, the company's associate-led volunteer force, has transformed more than 17,000 homes for veterans and their families with the support of more than $85 million in donations from The Home Depot Foundation. To learn more about the partnership with Volunteers of America, please visit www.voa.org/the-home-depot.