Mantua – Veterans Day celebrates all those who served honorably in the military. This year, Veterans’ Day came early for Mantua veteran Domer Keller in Mantua. He was fortunate enough to be granted a Day of Service, thanks to a grant provided by the Home Depot and the work of the Mantua Historical Society & Museum.
“These events are near and dear to my heart,” shared Paul Onuska, Assistant Manager at the Hope Depot in Bainbridge, and the son of a veteran. Onuska explained that while Team Depot completed several big projects at Keller’s home last year, the team also identified the need for replacement windows. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time left in the season to accomplish this large-scale project. Lucky for Keller, the team planned to return.
This year the Home Depot, along with the Mantua Historical Society, returned to Keller’s home to tackle the project this year, replacing every single window in Keller’s home. Days earlier, a team from Home Depot arrived to replace all the old, drafty windows throughout the home, which was built in 1844. In total, 25 windows were replaced; the Historical Society removed unbroken glass panels for use in other historic buildings throughout the area. Keller’s only request was that the windows be reused, and not sold. “The gentlemen who put in the new windows did a great job,” Keller beamed. “The clean up was excellent — there was nothing I needed to do.”
Once the 25 windows were replaced with top-of-the-line, energy-efficient versions, a team of roughly 20 people — a mix of Home Depot associates and volunteers from the Historical Society — returned to patch and replace plaster and drywall and finish interior painting and repair the concrete porch steps. New roller shades were installed in each bedroom window as well. Onuska noted, “We hope his heating bills go way down.”
While while the Home Depot provides all the materials, the store associates volunteer their time. “The best part is it’s the associates money,” he shared, “they all contribute and the Home Depot Foundation decides who to grant money to.” Fortunately for Domer Keller, his home, which has been in his family since 1898, has been selected once again.
Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation and Team Depot, their associate-led volunteer force have improved more than 45,000 veteran homes and facilities in 4,300 cities and provided more than $315 million to veteran-related causes.
