The Home Depot® Foundation Provides Volunteers of America with Almost $1.4 Million to Provide Homes and Services to Veterans in Need

Funding will benefit 16 programs that serve hundreds of homeless vets nationwide

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Expanding on an already vibrant partnership, The Home Depot® Foundation has pledged $1.37 million in new grants to Volunteers of America to address the critical need for housing and services for U.S. military veterans.

The grants include funds for 16 Volunteers of America homeless veterans programs in 15 cities. These grants will be used to refurbish or build housing for up to 540 homeless veterans, as well as many of their family members. Since beginning its partnership with Volunteers of America in April 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has pledged more than $4 million to the organization over three years to benefit homeless veterans.

Volunteers of America is one of the nation's largest nonprofit organizations addressing veterans' needs. Nationally, it serves more than 7,700 homeless veterans each year through 35 programs in 15 states. Housing initiatives receiving new grants from The Home Depot Foundation include:

• Volunteers of America Baton Rouge ("Garfield House"): Transitional housing for nine homeless male veterans in Baton Rouge, La.
• Volunteers of America Colorado Branch ("Clermont Commons"): Transitional housing, with a total of eight beds, for homeless women veterans and their families in Denver.
• Volunteers of America Delaware Valley ("Leaven House"): Affordable, permanent housing for seven homeless veterans and their families in Camden, N.J.
• Volunteers of America of Florida ("Patriot Arms Veterans Housing"): Supportive housing for 80 homeless male and female veterans suffering from PTSD, mental health problems and substance abuse in Cocoa, Fla.
• Volunteers of America of Florida ("Strengthening Veterans Families"): Six beds of temporary housing for the families of homeless male veterans living at an existing treatment program in Ocala, Fla. The new housing is provided to help strengthen relationships between homeless veterans and their family members.
• Volunteers of America of Florida (Affordable Housing for Veteran Families"): Affordable, permanent homes for nine veterans and their families in Polk County, Fla.
• Volunteers of America of Florida ("Moving Forward Together"): Single-family home in Cocoa, Fla. for a veteran peer specialist to live in while providing support to 80 veterans at the existing Cocoa Veterans Transitional Housing program.
• Volunteers of America Indiana ("Brandon Hall Veterans Transitional Housing"): Transitional housing for 38 homeless male veterans in Indianapolis.
• Volunteers of America Kentucky ("Homeless Veterans Transitional Treatment Program"): Transitional housing for 10 homeless veterans in Louisville.
• Volunteers of America Greater Los Angeles ("SHAWL: Supporting Harbor Area Women's Lives"): Transitional housing for up to eight women veterans and their children escaping economic and psychological difficulties in Los Angeles.
• Volunteers of America Massachusetts ("Sommerville Veteran's Center"): Housing for 29 homeless male veterans, including 22 transitional housing units and seven apartments.
• Volunteers of America Northern New England ("Cabin In the Woods"): New construction community with 10 cabins, and 30 total beds, for homeless veterans and their families at the Togus Veterans' Administration campus in Augusta, Maine.
• Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans ("Tulane Avenue Single Room Occupancy Residence"): Permanent housing for 81 homeless male and female veterans in New Orleans.
• Volunteers of America Greater New York ("East 119^th St. Veterans' Residence"): Transitional housing for 174 homeless veterans in the Harlem area of Manhattan.
• Volunteers of America Greater Ohio ("Cleveland Veterans Resource Center"): Supporting housing for 54 homeless male veterans in Cleveland.
• Volunteers of America Southeast ("One Family at a Time"): Three-bedroom single-family home for homeless veteran and family in Alabama.

"At the heart of our partnership with The Home Depot Foundation is a shared deep and authentic commitment to helping veterans live better lives," said Volunteers of America National President Mike King. "Because of this partnership, Volunteers of America has been able to build or renovate hundreds of homes for veterans all over the country, with many more planned in the near future."

In addition to the grants, Volunteers of America affiliates are supported by Team Depot, The Home Depot's associate-led volunteer force. Team Depot volunteers have already made a difference at Volunteers of America homeless veteran housing sites across the country.

"Volunteers of America is making a measurable impact every day in local communities across the country to help homeless and at-risk veterans," said Kelly Caffarelli, president, The Home Depot Foundation. "They share our commitment to ensure that every veteran has a safe place to call home, and we are proud that our funding and volunteer assistance will allow them to assist even more veterans and their families." 

About Volunteers of America

Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need live healthy, safe and productive lives. Since 1896, our ministry of service has supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, at-risk youth, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, those recovering from addictions and many others. Through hundreds of human service programs, including housing and health care, Volunteers of America helps more than 2 million people in over 400 communities. We offer a variety of services for older Americans, in particular, that allow them to maintain their independence and quality of life – everything from an occasional helping hand to full-time care. Our work touches the mind, body, heart and ultimately the spirit of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services.  Learn more at www.voa.org.

About The Home Depot Foundation

The Home Depot Foundation is committed to ensuring that every U.S. military veteran has a safe place to call home.  In April 2011, the Foundation pledged a three-year, $30 million initiative to address veterans' critical housing needs.

Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $270 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities.  To learn more and see our associates in action, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org, follow us on Twitter @homedepotfdn, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.

SOURCE Volunteers of America