The first time Kate used a hammer, she was three years old. Her parents brought her to a Kids Workshop at The Home Depot in Madison, Alabama, and they’ve been back almost every month since. Kate is now 13 with more than 100 workshops under her belt.
“Whenever I finish a craft,” Kate reflects, “it really makes me feel like, ‘Whoa, hey, I did something! I got this done myself! I made it my own!’”
Over the last 10 years, the workshops have become an important tradition to Kate’s entire family. Every month, Kate’s mother, Lee, and grandmother go with her to the workshop and watch her create something new. “As a mother, I can tell you it’s been a lot of fun watching her grow up in the workshops. [She was] barely able to lift a hammer, now she’s a pro at it,” says Lee. “Some of our favorite memories together have been at the workshops.”
The projects themselves also play a large role in Kate’s life. Her entire family keeps the calendars and other crafts that Kate has given them over the years, and Kate herself keeps several around her house to play with. “Kate’s crafts have helped us with Star Wars battles and Barbie games and LEGOs,” Lee says.
Kate recently completed her 100th workshop, where the store surprised her and her family with a giant party – complete with balloons, a banner, a personalized cake and a gift basket with a stuffed polar bear in an orange apron. The project that day was a vintage car model that Kate painted orange and white, so she would never forget that special day at The Home Depot. “One of the things that makes the workshops so special is the people that are there,” Lee says. “They treat us like family.”
Kate and Lee are thankful to The Home Depot for Kids Workshops. “We hope they continue the program for many years,” Lee says. “And maybe someday in the future, Kate will have her children there.”
