U.S.VETS – Los Angeles staff and residents were greeted by a sea of orange on September 15, 2011. As part of the Home Depot Foundation’s 2011 Celebration of Service initiative, more than a hundred volunteers from The Home Depot, veterans from The Mission Continues, U.S. VETS and the community descended upon the site to give it a makeover.
Volunteers brought in plants and landscaping to spruce up the courtyard area, painted several of the community rooms including the recreation room, TV room and gym and also built and installed new book shelves in the library. Two of the adjacent building exteriors were painted to make them blend in with the main buildings.
“We’ve had so much positive feedback from our residents about the work these volunteers did,” said Ivan Mason, Site Director. “These veterans feel so valued and appreciated when the community supports them with volunteer efforts,” he said, “it really means a lot to them.”
View more images from the Hope Depot Foundation’s visit to U.S.VETS Inglewood
U.S.VETS is taking part in the Home Depot Foundation’s 2011 Celebration of Service initiative. This nationwide project is a partnership between The Home Depot Foundation and The Mission Continues to work side-by-side with and for military veterans. Through the Celebration of Service initiative more than 200 projects between September 11 and Veterans Day will be completed to improve the homes and lives of veterans and their families.
One of these 200 projects is a revitalization effort at U.S.VETS-Inglewood. On September 15, 300 Volunteers from The Home Depot, Veterans from The Mission Continues, U.S.VETS and the community will provide a much-needed facelift to a 400+ room residential facility serving Veterans. The project will include enhancements of a large lawn area, painting the exterior wall of the adjacent storage facility and painting the interior of the multipurpose room, gym, library and game/TV rooms used to socialize, support and encourage positive living.
Los Angeles has the largest population of homeless military veterans in the nation. The V.A. estimates that more than 8,000 homeless veterans live on the streets of L.A., accounting for 11% of all homeless veterans nationwide. U.S.VETS is the nation’s largest non-profit provider of services to veterans facing challenges in their transition to civilian life. The Home Depot Foundation is also providing funding to U.S. Vets locations in St. Louis and Washington, D.C.
