WEST HAVEN--A group of volunteers from Home Depot is making a contribution to local veterans just one week before the national day of celebration for those who have served our country.
The employees came together on Tuesday to make hard-to-get-to areas of the VA Hospital in West Haven more accessible for veterans.
"I look forward to these days," said Ed Gast, one of the volunteers from the Wallingford Home Depot, and also a 22-year veteran of the Air Force.
Kelly Presti, who also works with Home Depot, described the scope of the project as "making areas more accessible for the disabled veterans. We’re doing four areas with paved stone today, as well as putting a shed up for the VA."
One task they did was install pavers by the bus stop so wheelchairs can move around easier. Another was to pave the patio, which wasn't accessible for disabled veterans.
"These folks, they need a place to be able to come out and relax, something as simple as a patio deck and a place to go to calm down and get away from the hustle and bustle of the world," Gast said.
The project has become an annual thing. The group is comprised of both volunteers from the store and veterans.
"We put together a wish list, and Home Depot came to the VA for one day with 30 of their crew," said Laura Spinelli, the program director for the Giant Steps program at the VA Hospital in West Haven.
The collaboration here is between Home Depot and Giant Steps, an outpatient program for veterans with mental health concerns. The program offers creative art therapies, as well as a gardening program, which is growing. That is why they need stuff like this done.
The program is part of the home improvement store's fifth year of committing to celebrating service and veterans.
"The military gave so much to me, it’s just enjoyable for me to be able to give back," Gast said of why he participates in the program.
