NEW ORLEANS (press release) – On Thursday, Nov. 9, The Home Depot Foundation and Rebuilding Together New Orleans are teaming up to make safety and accessibility upgrades to the home of U.S. Navy Veteran Carey Lessene.
Lessene, who has called New Orleans home for the majority of his life, was drafted to the U.S. Navy in the final year of the Vietnam War, where his dedication and commitment earned him a National Defense Medal. Since then, Lessene has put the same level of commitment and dedication into his local neighborhood, but a recent stroke has made it difficult for him to get around and maintain his own home. Hurricane Ida made his situation even more difficult, as the storm permanently damaged his roof, which leaked throughout areas of his home. Recently, RTNO and The Home Depot Foundation replaced Lessene’s roof and installed a new water heater in the home.
On Thursday, as part of The Home Depot Foundation’s national Operation Surprise campaign, Team Depot, Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, will revamp his outdoor space to make the backyard he loves accessible once again. Volunteers will install a wheelchair ramp and create a backyard oasis with a new fence, patio and landscaping. Team Depot will also surprise him with new patio furniture and a grill.
The Home Depot Foundation’s annual Operation Surprise initiative aims to provide life-changing moments of surprise through service to our nation’s veterans. From Nov. 1 through Nov. 20, Team Depot will complete hundreds of service projects in honor of Veterans Day, providing moments of surprise along the way.
Giving back to veterans is personal to The Home Depot, as more than 35,000 of the company’s associates are veterans or military spouses. Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has invested $475 million in veteran causes and helped renovate and enhance more than 55,000 veteran homes and facilities, ensuring more of our nation’s heroes have a safe, comfortable place to call home that fits their individual needs.
