If our senior citizens can’t afford to add grab bars to make their bathroom safe or can’t afford to make their home handicap accessible when they have a handicap, how will they continue to live safely in the place they’ve called home for so long?
That is what John and Anne were asking themselves when they decided to call Habitat for Humanity Tucson’s Home Repair program.
John is an 82-year-old United States Army veteran, who enlisted in 1957.
Because of his service, the couples home repair qualified for help through Habitat and a Home Depot Foundation grant that aims to ensure that veterans age safely in their homes for years to come.
[mk_image src=”https://habitattucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/bathroom-banda.jpg”]
John and Anne received a new handicap accessible bathroom provided by the the Home Depot Foundation’s grant as well as new ramps in the front and back of their home. John and Anne’s home was also lacking smoke detectors and their kitchen door was missing a handle. Their windows needed to be replaced and the exterior walls of the home had cracks. Both the walls and the fascia would have greatly benefitted from a fresh coat of paint.
Habitat Tucson, with the support of Home Depot and amazing local volunteers, completed all the repairs needed and John and Anne were blown away by the improvements on their home.[mk_image src=”https://habitattucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ramp.jpg”]
John has been wheelchair bound for approximately two years. Since that time, he has been unable to take a proper shower or access his home safely, using an improvised ramp made out of deteriorating wood. Now, both John and Anne will be able to live comfortably and safely again in their home.
“We are committed to ensuring that every veteran has a safe place to call home,” said Kelly Caffarelli, the Home Depot Foundation president. “Habitat for Humanity has its finger on the pulse of the needs of homeowners in communities nationwide, and we know that through our joint Repair Corps program, we’ll be able to identify and help veterans whose homes are in critical need of repair.”
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 homedepotfoundation.org, follow us on Twitter @homedepotfdn, and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.[mk_image src=”https://habitattucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/img_0064-1.jpg”]