The Home Depot and Its Foundation Allocate $1 Million for Hurricane Melissa Relief Initiatives
The Home Depot and the Hurricane Melissa Relief Efforts
In a significant response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation have pledged $1 million in aid. This commitment focuses on providing both immediate relief and long-term recovery support for the affected communities in Jamaica and other Caribbean areas hit hard by this disaster.
On October 28, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, resulting in loss of lives and widespread destruction, including severe flooding and infrastructure damage. Over 25,000 residents have been forced into emergency shelters due to this natural disaster, and recovery efforts are expected to span several years.
The Home Depot Foundation is channeling resources to support crucial immediate relief efforts. Among the contributions, grants have been allocated to prominent organizations like World Central Kitchen, which partners with local chefs to distribute emergency meals across Jamaica, Haiti, and the Bahamas. Additionally, support is being directed to Convoy of Hope and Operation Blessing for essential supply procurement. The Foundation remains dedicated to collaborating with various non-profit allies to ensure both immediate response and structured recovery in the forthcoming weeks.
Erin Izen, Executive Director of The Home Depot Foundation, expressed heartfelt sentiments towards the people affected by the hurricane, stating, "Our hearts are with the people of Jamaica and the Caribbean region as they recover from Hurricane Melissa. Our teams are tirelessly working with nonprofit partners to deliver emergency aid while also laying the groundwork for long-term recovery."
As part of the response, The Home Depot is also supplying construction products and disaster relief supplies urgently needed in the affected areas, such as generators, water, tool sets, flashlights, solar lights, and cleaning supplies. In response to requests from partners and customers, The Home Depot has made its stores in Miami and 30 others across the New York metropolitan region available to expedite orders for the impacted communities.
Before each hurricane season, The Home Depot ensures that its warehouses and supply chain centers are stocked with essential hurricane response and recovery supplies, enabling rapid deployment of critical products to disaster-stricken areas.
Jason Arigoni, Vice President of Field Marketing at The Home Depot, highlighted the company’s readiness to assist, stating, "The Home Depot is uniquely positioned to offer the support communities need today as they begin recovery and clean-up efforts, and in the future as they focus on rebuilding. We are here to help."
About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is recognized as the world's largest home improvement retailer. As of the end of the second quarter, the company operates over 2,353 retail stores, more than 800 branches, and over 325 distribution centers serving customers across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, ten Canadian provinces, and Mexico. The company employs over 470,000 individuals and its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE: HD, also being part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
About The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation, a non-profit organization backed by The Home Depot, is dedicated to improving homes and the lives of U.S. veterans, supporting communities impacted by natural disasters, and training skilled tradespeople to address the workforce gap. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested over $600 million in veteran-related causes and has improved over 65,000 residences and facilities for veterans. The Foundation is committed to investing an additional $750 million in veteran causes by 2030 and $50 million in training the next generation of skilled tradespeople through the Path to Pro program by 2028. For more details, visit HomeDepotFoundation.org or follow on social media @HomeDepotFound and @HomeDepotFoundation on Facebook and Instagram.