Like so many others in the Florida Keys, when Trish Haddox evacuated the islands ahead of Hurricane Irma, she left important pieces of her life behind. For Trish, her prized possession was her houseboat – an antique vessel that she poured her free time and money into over the last three years to make it her dream home. When she returned after the storm, the houseboat was destroyed with only the hull of the boat able to be salvaged.
More than 2,000 Home Depot associates like Trish returned after the storm to find their homes damaged or destroyed. In those moments, The Homer Fund stepped in to provide the assistance they needed to weather the storm and rebuild their lives.
“The Homer Fund saved my life,” says Trish. “It gave me food to eat and a place to stay. I had enough money to buy clothing, because I had no clothes. The Homer Fund helped me do that. Had they not been there, I don’t know what I would have done.”
In 2017, The Homer Fund gave more than $1.75 million to help associates in Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S.V.I. and other impacted states.
When disasters like a hurricane or tornado strike our communities, Home Depot stores are among the last to close and first to open. Our people are committed to supporting customers as they prepare and rebuild their homes. But, many times they experience the same fears and losses as our customers, trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces of their damaged homes and move forward.
“You can see people getting stronger on a daily basis,” Trish reflects. “Helping people put their lives back together…it helps you.”
