Home Depot Foundation backs disaster readiness with $5.5 million in grants

The Home Depot Foundation committed more than $5.5 million to disaster preparedness and community resilience as hurricane season approached, with much of the work tied directly to how stores, suppliers and associates brace for storms before landfall. The company said its Disaster Response Command Center kept continuous daily communication with impacted stores and suppliers and organized more than 100 expert associates across merchandising, operations, supply chain and technology.

That matters on the ground because the grants are aimed at the places and projects most likely to see the first wave of disruption and recovery work. Habitat for Humanity International will use funding for repairs and rehabilitations in Augusta, Georgia; Lafayette, Louisiana; and Planada, California, along with new home construction in California and Northwest Iowa. Team Rubicon’s grant will train 8,000 volunteers and support 100 home repairs through long-term recovery work, a sign that the effort is built for the long haul, not just the storm headline.

Other awards are targeted at the practical problems that follow a disaster. Operation Blessing will develop a mobile “energy hub” trailer so residents can access WiFi and charge devices when power and cell service are down. Inspiritus will establish a centrally located warehouse in South Georgia and train volunteers for immediate response and long-term recovery. HomeAid Hawaii will use the money to maintain a 450-unit housing complex for people displaced by the 2023 Lahaina wildfire. The Foundation and the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes will also develop the Strong Homes program to train nonprofit construction managers in FORTIFIED Gold standards and resilient building practices.

Erin Izen, the Foundation’s executive director, said preparedness is a year-round commitment to building stronger, disaster-ready neighborhoods. The release said the United States has averaged 23 billion-dollar disasters each year since 2020, and cited National Institute of Building Sciences research showing that every $1 spent on hazard mitigation saves $6 in future recovery costs. For Home Depot associates, that logic is practical: storm prep affects what gets stocked, which stores are most heavily supported, and how quickly teams can shift into emergency response mode.

The new grants also fit a pattern Home Depot has been building for several years. In May 2025, the Foundation announced more than $5.5 million for disaster preparedness, response and rebuilding, and paired that with a separate $3 million wildfire commitment for Southern California to bring 2025 disaster-season support to $8.5 million. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, Team Depot packed more than 6,500 disaster relief kits, including more than 3,000 distributed in Asheville and Augusta alone, while the company activated its command center before Milton’s landfall.