The Home Depot Foundation announced a commitment of up to $1 million to support immediate disaster relief and long-term recovery efforts in the communities impacted by Hurricane Ida. This new disaster response grant takes the Foundation’s 2021 disaster contributions to more than $6 million.
Additionally, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, Team Depot, will assemble more than 1,000 disaster relief kits for distribution to the affected communities. These relief kits will include cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, garbage bags and other items.
“Our thoughts are with the communities that have been impacted by Hurricane Ida,” said Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. “The Home Depot Foundation will work closely with our national and local nonprofit partners to help provide critical supplies and services throughout the recovery process.”
Ahead of the hurricane season, The Home Depot Foundation pre-fortifies nonprofit partners’ warehouses with emergency supplies for quick deployment to impacted areas. To identify and support the most urgent needs of the affected communities, the Foundation is working closely with its national nonprofit partners including Operation Blessing, ToolBank Disaster Services, Team Rubicon, All Hands and Hearts, Convoy of Hope and American Red Cross. The Home Depot Foundation and The Home Depot have activated warehouses across the country, mobilized response teams and deployed critical supplies to provide impacted communities with immediate assistance.
The Home Depot Foundation has also initiated response efforts with World Central Kitchen to provide hand trucks, pallet jacks and other tools to help with the organization’s on-site cooking operations.
The company activated its disaster response teams on Saturday to support stores, associates and communities in the path of Hurricane Ida. Associates from the company’s merchandising, operations, supply chain and other teams have been working around the clock. So far, hundreds of trucks have reached the area with products like generators, gas cans, lumber, AC units and fans. Several distribution centers across the southeast are ramping up to continue sending truckloads with supplies this week.
The Homer Fund, Home Depot’s employee assistance program, is also actively processing emergency assistance grants for associates affected by this hurricane. As of yesterday, more than 400 associates received nearly $272,000 in emergency financial relief for Hurricane Ida. In 2020, The Homer Fund granted $1.1 million to support associates impacted by natural disasters.
The Home Depot Foundation and The Homer Fund are also continuing to monitor the Caldor Fire to identify and serve the needs of the communities impacted. To support relief efforts, The Home Depot Foundation has provided product donations, and The Homer Fund has activated assistance grants to impacted associates.
