Posted Thursday, May 3, 2012 --- 11:05 a.m.

Press Release from Porchlight, Inc.:

Madison, WI-Thursday, May 3rd-Home Depot employees will provide approximately $20,000 of donations in labor and material costs to repair a Porchlight property at 1848 Fisher Street on Thursday, May 10th. The Home Depot team has partnered with Porchlight, a nonprofit agency that provides emergency services and low-cost housing to Dane County’s homeless and low-income populations. The Fisher St. property provides transitional housing for two formerly homeless families.

Brad Hinkfuss, Porchlight’s Director of Development and Maintenance, states that Home Depot has been integral to completing this project. “Our maintenance crew-a total of four guys-has 25 properties to keep up, as well as Porchlight’s emergency shelters. The space we are renovating, although functional, could be so much more welcoming for the families living here. With Home Depot, we finally have the resources and volunteers we need.”

Home Depot staff provided assistance to secure a grant for $4,300. This grant allowed Porchlight to purchase most of the materials necessary to renovate the property’s garden, yard, retaining wall, and fence. Once the grant was secured, Mark Allen, the Pro Department Supervisor at Home Depot, recruited qualified volunteers from the Home Depot staff.

Volunteers from Home Depot will donate their personal vacation time to Porchlight on Thursday. “Team Depot”, as the volunteers are called, will rebuild the yard’s crumbling retaining wall, replace the fence and make significant improvements to the garden, including an installment of steps to create easier access to and from the yard. The volunteers and financial assistance provided by Home Depot have made this