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Honoring Dr. King and His Legacy with $150,000 Donation to Atlanta’s King Center

January 18, 2021

Today, we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his legacy of nonviolence, equality and inclusion. As an Atlanta-based company that shares the birthplace of Dr. King, we’re committed to furthering Dr. King’s dream and the mission of his Beloved Community.  

In honor of MLK Day 2021 and Dr. King’s unparalleled impact, The Home Depot Foundation is investing more than $150,000 in The King Center in Atlanta. This investment creates a new resource to support volunteer services and opportunities within The King Center and throughout Atlanta to address critical needs in our communities. 

“The Home Depot Foundation has supported The King Center for more than 15 years now,” says Tim Wilkerson, board member for The King Center and vice president of The Home Depot’s merchandising executive team. “The Center is dedicated to educating the world on the life, the legacy and the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” 

In honor of MLK Day, The Home Depot is encouraging its associates to reflect on Dr. King’s teachings and safely conduct individual acts of service that help drive sustainable change in our communities, such as contactless donations of new or gently used clothing to local collection sites or deliveries of non-perishable food items to a local food pantry. In Atlanta, The Home Depot Foundation will also partner with Hands On Atlanta, Morehouse College and The National Center for Civil and Human Rights to drive sustainable change around some of the city’s most pressing needs. 

We are dedicated to continuing our relationship with those who are committed to change that will bring us closer to realizing an end to discrimination and hatred. Since 2006, The Home Depot Foundation has funded 40 MLK Service Projects throughout the country and continues to coordinate service day projects in Atlanta on MLK Day.  

In 2009, The Home Depot also supported Dr. King’s legacy with a donation to create a permanent exhibition that now houses 10,000 original documents by Dr. King at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, including drafts of his “I Have a Dream” speech.