ATLANTA – October 30,2023 – The Home Depot foundation today announced a $1 million commitment to support immediate and long-term relief efforts for communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa,which made landfall in Jamaica on October 28 as a Category 5 hurricane. The storm caused significant loss of life, widespread flooding, structural collapse, and extensive power outages, leaving over 25,000 residents in emergency shelters.
The Foundation’s support includes grants to World Central Kitchen to partner with local chefs for emergency meal distribution in Jamaica, Haiti, and the Bahamas, and also to convoy of Hope and Operation Blessing to purchase essential supplies.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Jamaica and the broader Caribbean region as they recover from Hurricane Melissa,” said Erin Izen, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. “Our teams are working around the clock with nonprofit partners to deliver emergency aid and lay the groundwork for long-term recovery.”
In addition to financial contributions, The Home Depot is donating urgently needed disaster relief and building products, including generators, water, toolkits, flashlights, solar lights, and cleanup supplies. Responding to requests from associates and customers, the company has designated its Miami stores, and 30 stores in the New York Metro region, as hubs to expedite orders to impacted communities.
The Home Depot proactively prepares for hurricane season each year by stocking warehouses and supply chain locations with essential supplies, enabling rapid deployment to disaster zones.
“The Home Depot is uniquely positioned to provide disaster-impacted communities with the support they need today, as they look to recover and clean up, and in the future, as they turn to rebuilding,” said Jason Arigoni, vice president of field merchandising for The Home Depot. “We’re here to help.”
The Home Depot Foundation anticipates continued collaboration with its nonprofit partners to facilitate both short-term response and long-term recovery in the weeks and months ahead. Full recovery for affected areas is expected to take several years.
