Home Depot Gives $500,000 in Grants to Red Cross

Atlanta, GA, May 11, 2007--The American Red Cross said that for the second consecutive year, The Home Depot is giving $500,000 in disaster preparedness grants to American Red Cross chapters across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Last year, the grant program helped 41 Red Cross chapters reach more than 314,000 people with disaster preparedness education in just five months. Specialized disaster preparedness programs included outreach to Somali, Latino, youth, Vietnamese, and deaf/hearing-impaired communities. This year, grants will continue to fund disaster preparedness programs with measurable outcomes and maximum impact on local communities.

The Home Depot/American Red Cross Chapter Grants Program is part of a three-year, multi-million dollar strategic partnership between The Home Depot and the Red Cross to educate 1 million people in disaster preparedness and to support Red Cross disaster readiness efforts. The goal of reaching 1 million people was surpassed in year two of the partnership; however, The Home Depot and the Red Cross remain committed to building stronger and safer communities. In addition to the grant program, The Home Depot also provides other support, such as year-round, in-kind donations to local chapters for disaster relief efforts, in-store preparedness clinics developed with Red Cross expertise, and funding for Red Cross diversity and emergency services program manager training.

"The American Red Cross mission is to provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies," said Joe Becker, senior vice president of Preparedness and Response for the American Red Cross. "The Home Depot's generous support of preparedness programs and disaster relief is vital in helping us carry out this mission, providing help and hope to people in need in communities across the nation."

"The Home Depot has a history of being a champion for its communities and providing significant relief and recovery support immediately following a disaster," said Kevin Martinez, vice president of Community Affairs, The Home Depot. "At The Home Depot, we are dedicated to educating our neighbors on the importance of disaster preparedness and to minimize the loss associated with these devastating events. By partnering with the Red Cross, we are providing our communities with the tools needed to help them rebound quickly and completely."

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