Whew! What a quick and crazy weekend!
I flew to Columbus, Ohio {with a pit stop in Chicago} on Friday for my second Celebration of Service event with The Home Depot foundation.
Guys, let me tell you from the bottom of my heart how much I have LOVED participating in these events!
I have always considered myself patriotic and grateful to our military, but my appreciation and admiration of our military and their families has increased ten fold since I have become an adult, wife, and mom. My heart is so touched by the sacrifices our veterans make to provide me and my loved ones with the protection and freedoms that to be honest, we sometimes take for granted.
That is why I was so thrilled to work with The Home Depot Foundation in honoring and taking care of our veterans!
This time, I was able to work on fixing up a home away from home for veteran students on the Ohio State University campus.
The Home Depot Foundation has committed to helping improve the lives of veterans across the country.
In order to improve the lives of the 10 veteran students that are currently living there, Home Depot volunteers gave of their time {without pay} to help paint, improve interior and exterior lighting, landscape, install new flooring, and build a shed.
It was truly a labor of love.
Here is sweet Courtney Smith, the Northern Division Foundation Field Specialist for The Home Depot Foundation welcoming everyone to the event.
There were four of us bloggers there to help out too.
Kierste from Simply Kierste
Lori from Witty Little Secret
Gail from My Repurposed Life
We were ready to get to work!
We had a long narrow hallway to paint, and let’s just say that it was a little too close for comfort. 
But we persevered, and got it done!
I was so touched by the sweet messages that the veteran students left on their doors.
From young to old, all of The Home Depot employees worked together to improve the quality of life for these veteran students.
There were even some local news stations there to cover the event.
And guess what?! Lionel Richie even showed up for this special occasion!!!
Okay, just kiddin! On the right, that is actually Colin Brown, the Sr. Director of Development for the Ohio State University Foundation. He looked so much like Lionel Richie! I called him Lionel all day.
He was presented with a special medal from The Home Depot Foundation. It is now proudly decorating a shelf in the dining room of the veteran home.
I thought it was super cool to participate in this event on Veteran’s Day weekend.
And I am so thankful that my little ol’ blog has led me to amazing opportunities such as these.
I am thankful to The Home Depot for allowing me to participate in this program.
And I am so very thankful to all of The Home Depot employees that I have watched over the past few months volunteer their time and talents to improve the homes and lives of our U.S. veterans. They have blessed my heart!
I will be given the opportunity to serve one more veteran family locally here in Ky. I cannot wait to find out who they are and when I get to meet them.
P.S. On Friday night, we {the 4 bloggers} went to dinner with The Home Depot leaders of this event, and they surprised me with dessert and a “Happy Birthday” song since it was my birthday! It was so sweet, and I felt like I was 12 years old again! Something about blowing out a candle just makes me smile.
Thank you, guys!
The Home Depot partnered with bloggers such as me for their Celebration of Service Blog Network. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. The Home Depot believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.
