Home Depot Foundation’s Veterans Day Donation

For Veterans Day, The Home Depot Foundation has invested more than $30 million in new grants to help thousands of veterans secure and maintain safe, accessible housing through critical home repairs, smart home modifications and programs for those exiting homelessness. The foundation made 44 grants to veteran service organizations and has pledged to invest $750 million in veteran causes by 2030.

On any given night, the foundation says, nearly 33,000 veterans don’t have a safe place to sleep or call home. Of those who do, more than 2.75 million live in inadequate housing. At a time when home inventory continues to lag behind demand and the cost of rent climbs, it takes innovative solutions and partnerships to ensure our nation’s veterans have housing that fits their needs.

“Veterans are some of the last people to ask for help,” said Erin Izen, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. “And often the first to lend a hand to others in need. That’s why it’s so unfortunate that many continue to experience homelessness or live in homes in need of critical repairs. Veteran housing has been a key priority for the Foundation since 2011, and this newest investment of $30 million shows our continued priority to ensure veterans can access the housing they need to thrive.”

The new grants went to organizations including Gary Sinise Foundation, Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors to support the construction of new accessible, personalized homes.

“We’re so grateful for The Home Depot Foundation’s support and the impact we’ve made together over the past 10 years – helping 4,000 aging veterans live more safely in their homes through our Helping Homebound Heroes program,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “What may seem like small modifications – installing grab bars, fixing wobbly railings or damaged doors – can make an enormous difference for a homebound senior veteran. We’re proud to continue honoring these heroes by helping them age with comfort, safety, and dignity in their own homes.”

Stuckey’s CEO Joins Partnership for Innovation Board

The Partnership for Innovation (PIN) – a public-private coalition that brings together leaders from business, government, education, and the nonprofit sector to strengthen communities and create new opportunities – has selected three new board members. Stephanie Stuckey is the CEO of Stuckey’s, an iconic roadside brand founded by her grandfather in 1937. She is a former Georgia State representative and director of sustainability for the City of Atlanta. Heather Robertson Fortner is the Chair and CEO of SignatureFD, a wealth management firm based in Atlanta. She actively mentors women and emerging professionals in finance and is a vocal advocate for mental wellness and leadership development through her community work. And Nashlie Sephus, Ph.D., a machine expert and founder of The Bean Path, a nonprofit organization that provides tech guidance to startups and underserved communities. She currently serves as a Tech Evangelist at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she works on identifying biases in emerging technologies. 

In just five years, PIN, powered by Georgia Tech, has implemented over 200 projects in nearly 300 communities, launched more than 100 new technologies and innovations, supported over 800 organizations, and helped generate over $8 million in new funding and leveraged investment.

Marc Bitzer Joins Habitat for Humanity Board

Habitat for Humanity International is pleased to announce Marc Bitzer, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation, has been elected to serve on its board of directors. Bitzer was named Chief Executive Officer of Whirlpool Corp. in 2017 and elected as Chairman of the Board in 2019. He joined Whirlpool Europe in 1999. Before joining Whirlpool, Bitzer worked for eight years at the Boston Consulting Group in Munich and Toronto, and was named vice president in 1999. Bitzer earned both his MBA and doctorate from the St. Gallen Graduate School of Business, Economics and Law in Switzerland.

“It is an honor to join the Habitat for Humanity International board,” said Bitzer. “Our quarter century of work with Habitat, impacting more than one million people worldwide, demonstrates the interconnectedness of home appliances and housing in improving lives. Together, we’re helping build and improve homes, communities and lives, which is key to Whirlpool Corp.’s social responsibility strategy, and I look forward to helping the organization continue its important mission.”

Since 1999, Whirlpool Corp. has supported Habitat for Humanity to help improve and broaden the ways Habitat can assist more families to achieve housing stability. Over the past 25 years, Whirlpool Corp. has donated more than $150 million to Habitat globally—including more than 250,000 appliances—to help increase access to affordable housing in communities around the world.

Habitat’s board of directors is responsible for establishing policy and guiding the organization’s efforts to build or improve affordable housing in partnership with families across the United States and in more than 70 countries around the world. Habitat board members serve for two-year terms that can be renewed up to four times. The organization started as a grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in south Georgia in 1976 and has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage.