Home Depot helps fix up facility for homeless vets

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Studies show that military veterans are twice as likely to become homeless than the average american.

The Good Shepherd Center in Wilmington does its part to try to fight the problem, but it needs the community’s help. Today it got that help in a big way.

From Sept. 11 until Nov. 11 Home Depot stores across the country are holding a Celebration of Service; a celebration that hit the streets of Wilmington today in the form of rehabilitation at the Sgt. Eugene Ashley Memorial Center.

Fifty Home Depot employees flooded the center to paint, fix the landscaping, and install cabinets and appliances. The project is worth more than $20,000.

“As a company we see 1.4 mMillion veterans that are homeless nationwide,” The Home Depot’s Jacob Roberts said. “Over 10 percent of our company are veterans, and we know that when these veterans come back from serving the country they’re twice as likely to become homeless.”

At any given time the Eugene Ashley Memorial Center houses between 12 and 23 homeless veterans, all of whom gave the home depot a big salute for their hard work.