By Erin Izen, Executive Director of The Home Depot Foundation
When I first met Kim, a proud U.S. Navy veteran, fifty of my fellow orange-clad Home Depot associates were in her backyard, with another 250 of them dispersed at other homes throughout her neighborhood in Historic West End.
An Atlanta native, Kim was stationed in Guam during Desert Storm/Desert Shield for four years, where she volunteered her time tutoring elementary school children. Today, she remains committed to service, giving back to her fellow servicemembers by helping veterans experiencing homelessness secure housing.
But Kim, like so many of the heroes who have served our nation, is the last to raise her hand for help. A common refrain I hear from the veterans we serve through The Home Depot Foundation is, “Someone else deserves it more.”
The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation believe every veteran deserves a safe, accessible place to call home. Today, more than 33,000 veterans still experience homelessness, and more than 2.75 million live in inadequate housing (homes with one or more issues like overcrowding, poor air quality, lack of utilities, presence of mold and more).
The Home Depot Foundation has committed to investing $750 million by 2030 to help solve some of these major housing issues that veterans face. In honor of Veterans Day, last week we announced more than $30 million in new grants to our nonprofit partners that will serve thousands of veterans through:
- Critical home repairs for senior, disabled and low-income veterans;
- Smart home construction and adaptive renovations for severely wounded veterans;
- Expansion of housing facilities for veterans exiting homelessness, and other housing-related initiatives.
While I’ve been to hundreds of projects like the one in Kim’s backyard, that day in the Historic West End was incredibly meaningful: over 300 Home Depot associates assembled to help make repairs, clean up, landscape and beautify the homes of five veterans and their families living in that community. We call this mighty force of volunteers Team Depot. Every year, tens of thousands of associates are out giving back in their communities nationwide.
Our veteran projects, and particularly our projects in Atlanta, hold a special place in my heart. In addition to being a rare native Atlantan, my husband and oldest son served proudly in the U.S. Marine Corps (Oorah!). I’ve seen firsthand across countless service members how difficult it can be to exit the military.
For Atlanta’s veterans, the challenge of adapting to civilian life and dealing with the visible and invisible wounds from serving, is exacerbated by a severe affordable housing deficit. According to the Atlanta Regional Commission, the city lost more than 230,000 affordable housing units between 2018 and 2023. And, while veteran homelessness declined 3% in 2025, there are still hundreds of veterans in Atlanta without a place to call home.
Our work to tackle these housing issues in Atlanta and beyond focuses on helping veterans secure safe, accessible housing and keeping them in those homes. We’ve partnered with nonprofit organizations in Atlanta for decades to do just that.
In Atlanta’s Westside, we’ve worked with HouseProud Atlanta for many years to help senior veterans with repairs and modifications so they can age-in-place in their own homes. Kim’s home has been in the family for decades. Her neighbors, also veterans, have been in their homes for 40 years. The partnership between The Home Depot Foundation and HouseProud, among many other nonprofit organizations, aims to ensure Atlanta remains a place where home ownership is attainable and retainable, particularly for seniors and veterans who have been in their homes for generations. The City of Atlanta is also engaged in this work, aiming to build or preserve 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030.
It takes public-private partnerships and organizations coming together to work toward a common goal to tackle an issue of this magnitude. Partners like HouseProud, Meals on Wheels Atlanta and Veterans Empowerment Organization keep us connected with the veteran community in Atlanta and the most urgent issues that they face. Housing is one of those areas where The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation, along with our partners, have the expertise and resources to make a significant difference for Atlanta’s veterans.
As Team Depot finished painting Kim’s home, repairing her screened-in porch, building a new deck and laying gravel, I had a chance to chat with her about what it meant to have hundreds of people come together to give back.
“I have a spirit of helping, and I’m very prideful that I served,” she said. “I had no idea that The Home Depot Foundation would show up like this to bless veterans and seniors. They have just blessed me immensely.”
The commitment to service and community runs strong in this neighborhood and throughout Atlanta. It’s our duty as an organization born in Atlanta to support our neighbors, especially those who have given so much for us and our freedoms.
To all veterans, military spouses and active-duty service members in Atlanta and beyond, thank you for your service. Thank you for allowing The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation to continue showing up and serving you. Thank you for helping us build a stronger Atlanta.
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