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Home Depot Foundation, Rebuilding Together Sandoval County team up to surprise Army veteran with home upgrades
Volunteers made some improvements to the home of Army Veteran and Rio Rancho resident Leonard Wolford's home on April 17.
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The Home Depot Foundation and Rebuilding Together Sandoval County teamed up Wednesday to make repairs and updates to the home of local Army veteran and Rio Rancho resident, Leonard Wolford.
More than a dozen volunteers helped ensure Wolford has a safe home that he’s proud of and one that he can enjoy for years to come. Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, and RTSC removed a concrete pad, which will be replaced with marble chips, and renovated an uneven patio that presented a tripping hazard. They also installed a new evaporative cooler to help Wolford stay cool during New Mexico's hot summers ahead. The volunteers also landscaped, planted and provided outdoor beautification updates.
What was Wolford’s reaction to the volunteers’ work?
“He cried. He's a pretty sentimental person. He's really sweet,” RTSC Program Manager Dana Oliveri said. “His ex-wife and he are still very close and good friends, so she's also been our contact and helping us coordinate this and she's been super appreciative.”
The 74-year-old Wolford joined the Army in 1969 and later joined the Army Reserve, where he served troops passing through on their way to Vietnam, earning him a National Defense Service Medal as well as a M-14 Marksmanship Badge. Now in his retirement, Wolford loves working and making repairs around his house, but he is only able to complete smaller-scale projects that aren’t as demanding due to some physical challenges.
“He was a carpenter, so he would always fix stuff around the house,” Oliveri said. “Unfortunately, he’s not able to do that anymore.”
During National Volunteer Month in April, The Home Depot Foundation is partnering with national and local nonprofits to complete service projects like this one in communities across the country. In more than a dozen cities, Team Depot is working with Rebuilding Together affiliates to address accessibility needs for veterans to help them safely age in place in their homes.
Giving back to veterans is personal to The Home Depot, as more than 35,000 of the company’s associates are veterans or military spouses. Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has invested $500 million in veteran causes and helped renovate and enhance more than 60,000 veteran homes and facilities, ensuring more of the nation’s heroes have a safe, comfortable place to call home that fits their individual needs.
Rebuilding Together Sandoval County was founded in 1999 as a 501.c.3 nonprofit organization originally called “Christmas in April.” It is dedicated to helping residents in Sandoval County who could not afford to make essential repairs to keep their homes safe and habitable. The original goal was to bring together volunteers once a year, in April, to do a project together. From that modest start, RTSC has grown into an organization that provides year-round assistance. RTSC is now one of more than 100 affiliates of Rebuilding Together USA, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing rehabilitation services free of charge to those in need.
“This is the third project that we’re doing with Home Depot, working with folks across the country to support veterans,” Oliveri said. “So we're developing a nice partnership.”
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RTSC is always looking for volunteers and donations. It will be repairing 30-plus homes over the next year and needs help to get the work done. To donate, click here, or, to volunteer, click here.
