How Meals on Wheels and The Home Depot Foundation Help Seniors Age Safely at Home

Opening the Door to Independence

After a car accident limited mobility for Army veteran Ms. Childers, everyday life became more difficult. Walking required a cane, and standing for extended periods was often painful. She began to wonder how much longer she could continue living independently in the Eastside San Antonio neighborhood she had called home all her life.

Thankfully, Ms. Childers soon began receiving nutritious meals through Meals on Wheels San Antonio. During one meal delivery, a volunteer noticed that Ms. Childers’ front door had a broken window covered by a wooden board, making it difficult for her to see who was outside. The door had also become difficult to open and close.

“I had to use my hip to make sure it closed,” Ms. Childers said.

The volunteer connected her with Helping Homebound Heroes, a partnership between Meals on Wheels America and The Home Depot Foundation that provides critical home repairs and modifications for senior veterans. Before long, the deteriorating door was replaced with a new one — complete with a security bolt and peephole — which helped Ms. Childers feel safer at home.

The repair wasn’t the only act of kindness Ms. Childers received. The team working on her home also gave her a ride to a nearby hospital so she could visit her brother. It was an important moment with him, one of their last together. Sadly, he passed away soon after.

“Meals on Wheels and Home Depot partnering together is a tremendous help,” Ms. Childers said.

Supporting Veterans at Home

For many senior veterans like Ms. Childers, aging safely at home requires more than nutritious meals. As mobility changes, navigating a home can become increasingly difficult. A steep set of stairs may become a fall risk, while a bathtub can become difficult — or even dangerous — to enter without assistance.

But making a home safer often comes with a price tag. Whether it’s installing a wheelchair ramp or repairing a broken heating system, these improvements can be difficult to afford on a fixed income.

To help address this need, Meals on Wheels America and The Home Depot Foundation launched Helping Homebound Heroes in 2015. What began as a shared commitment to supporting older veterans has grown into a nationwide effort that helps senior veterans remain safe, independent and comfortable in the homes and communities they love.

Over the past decade, The Home Depot Foundation has invested over $24 million in grants and contributed thousands of volunteer hours through Team Depot, the company’s associate volunteer force, to repair and modify more than 4,300 veteran homes across the country.

Projects range from major repairs such as installing new roofs, replacing HVAC systems and water heaters, building wheelchair ramps and upgrading energy-efficient windows to smaller modifications like installing grab bars, adding handrails and mounting cooling fans.

“At The Home Depot Foundation, we believe in serving those who have served us all, and that starts with ensuring every veteran has a safe, comfortable place to call home,” said Erin Izen, executive director of the foundation. “Our partnership with Meals on Wheels America is helping senior veterans live independently and age in place by providing critical home repairs, from wheelchair ramps to bathroom updates and accessible entryways. We’re proud of the work we’ve done together through this program to support thousands of our nation’s heroes.”

Learn More About Our Partnership with The Home Depot Foundation