WALKER, Mich. — Spring is here and that means it's time to spend more time outdoors. Eighteen veterans from West Michigan are now going to have a more enjoyable outdoor experience this year thanks to about 100 volunteers.
On Friday, the Home Depot teamed up with the Heart of West Michigan United Way and the Salvation Army to provide landscaping and outdoor home repair services for veterans.
"We're going to do projects like beautification around their homes, help them with simple updates, and just give back to those that have served our community," said Jessica Vugteveen with Home Depot.
The event began early in the morning at the Alpine Avenue Home Depot and volunteers fanned out throughout Kent County throughout the day. The Salvation Army then fed the volunteers lunch. They're happy to help out local veterans.
"Veterans have struggled lately with a number of things. They have high suicide rates, sometimes difficulty accessing care, things like that," said Salvation Army Major Tim Meyer.
Home Depot team member Marcus Pitts says the veterans appreciate the services and he's always excited to give back.
"This is what we live for, and this is exciting. The vets have been awesome. They're excited about it. That makes me even more excited. But I love giving back," he said.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.