Home Depot Volunteers Take Time to Re-Mulch Veterans Memorial Park on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Around 100 volunteers from The Home Depot Foundation descended onto Veterans Memorial Park last month.

The volunteers were there to help landscape the park and make it even more attractive for visitors. They collaborated with Consumer & Veterans Services and chose the 82nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day to re-mulch the park grounds, located at 3602 U.S. 301 N., Tampa, FL 33619.

"The timing couldn't be any better," said Jennifer Taylor, a Home Depot store manager, who helped coordinate at the event.

Fitted with outdoor work gloves and other lawn tools, the volunteers - who served on their day off - raked, gathered leaves, pulled weeds, and prepared the soil for the mulch sitting on pallets throughout the park. Using their hands and rakes, they distributed the mulch, enhancing the beauty of the trees, plants, and park. Along with the volunteers giving their time, The Home Depot Foundation donated the materials for the park improvement project.

"These are folks who are giving back to the community in which they live and work in," Taylor said. "They love making impacts and giving back."

In addition to the attendance of The Home Depot Foundation volunteers, five local World War II veterans visited the park to greet the volunteers and lend perspective about the historic day.

Lloyd Gerable, a World War II Veteran who served as a captain with the U.S. Army, said the park and its memorials helped locals remember the sacrifices that were made, including the people who created the park and maintain it today.

"It is an important part of what America is all about to understand that lots of people have given up their time, effort, and so forth to first of all to create the park and then to keep it running," Gerable said.

"Veterans are important, and it is wonderful to have young people still coming along and being aware of what happened before," Gerable said.

Hillsborough County is home to the largest Veteran population in Florida out of all 67 counties. Hillsborough County Consumer & Veterans Services provides free, accredited assistance to the county's Veterans and their survivors seeking access to earned VA benefits and programs. With its 14 memorials, the park offers a place where veterans and their families can visit all year long to reflect on their military service and tradition.

Veterans Memorial Park & Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins, Jr. Veterans Museum are both free and open daily. The park's hours are 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Museum hours are 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
For more information about VA benefits assistance or Veterans Memorial Park, visit HCFLGov.net/Veterans.

For The Home Depot Foundation, the experience helped create a great partnership with Hillsborough County Consumer & Veterans Services that they hope flourishes with additional opportunities.

"We made a great partnership with Hillsborough County," Taylor said. "Now we can continue to work together on different projects and continue to elevate Hillsborough County to any of their needs that they have in the community."

Photo Information: The Home Depot Foundation descended onto Veterans Memorial Park to help landscape the park and make it even more attractive for visitors.