On Thursday, Sept. 6, more than 220 metro Atlanta Home Depot store associates put their home improvement expertise to use by repairing and renovating the homes of 11 local military veterans.

The measure kicked off the Home Depot Foundation’s second annual Celebration of Service campaign.

Celebration of Service is the foundation's two-month initiative to honor U.S. military veterans, celebrate their contributions and provide support to nonprofit organizations that serve them.

To launch the effort, the foundation enlisted Team Depot, the company’s associate-led volunteer force, to repair and renovate the homes of 100 veterans in a single day.

Atlanta area associates, who met at the pavillion in Grant Park, were then deployed to 11 homes to complete a variety of home repair and renovation projects.

One homeowner was James Mahone, a 66-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army, Specialist 4^th Class.

Mahone served from 1966 to 1968 in Germany and while overseas, was in an engineer battalion and was awarded a medal of good conduct. Mahone brought
his strong work ethic home with him, holding several jobs – from jazz musician to interior designer – and owning two of his own businesses during his 30-year career following his service.

A year and a half ago, Mahone moved into the Grove Park home his mother — now 91 years old — had lived in for 50 years but was unable to maintain.

Team Depot volunteers partnered with HouseProud Atlanta — which provides no-cost repairs to keep low-income seniors and/or disabled homeowners in them in their communities — to renovate to the Atlanta hero’s home.

The work included making safety repairs on the back porch, updates to the kitchen, gutter cleaning, exterior painting and lawn maintenance.