By Katelyn Winkler
Review Staff Writer
Over the span of two days, volunteers from eight local Home Depot stores came together to help out the local veterans and make Fire Station One, located in the Village of Lake Orion, a much better home for firefighters.
The effort began when an associate from the Auburn Hills Home Depot store came forward and suggested that the station needed some upgrades. The worker was an on-call firefighter for Orion and wanted to try to help.
Home Depot’s Alana Hart submitted paperwork to the Home Depot Foundation asking for a $10,000 grant to cover the costs of equipment and product.
‘The fire station has 20 veterans on staff and the main focus on projects (from the Home Depot Foundation) is veterans,? Hart said. ?[Firefighters] are here a lot and we wanted to give them something that is functioning.?
The Home Depot Foundation has been contributing to communities, for 30 years, where associates live and work to make critical needs in the areas they serve. They complete their tasks through volunteerism, philanthropy and product donations.
All 70 volunteers contributed to some aspect of the work that was done downtown including: painting, installing a new kitchen, putting flooring in, replacing the shower and hanging blinds.
This project began on Tuesday, March 26, at 8 am, where workers like Jody Highers came to volunteer.
‘I’ve been doing this for a year after someone got me involved. The only thing I have to donate is my time and effort and if that makes a difference to someone else, then why not?? Highers said.
‘It’s always fun to do these Team Depot things. Anytime they need me I take the time off work and come to help out,? she added.
Not only has Home Depot remodeled the fire station, they have contributed to other parts of the Lake Orion area.
‘We worked on the Orion Art Center (a $13,000 grant), ($45,000), NOVA in downtown, helped the American Legion, remodeled a home for a veteran and in May, we’re helping with the Veterans memorial and the stage they are building,? Hart said.
Home Depot, and the Home Depot Foundation, wants to let their customers know that they support their community.
‘I think it’s a positive thing because it just makes the community know that Home Depot cares about what goes on and when there’s a need we are there to help out as much as we can,? Highers said.