The Home Depot Foundation and Rebuilding Together Sandoval County teamed up Wednesday to make accessibility modifications and upgrades to the Bernalillo home of Army veteran Anthony Rosas

Over the years, Rosas’ health has declined and parts of his home, including his porch, have begun to deteriorate. 

On Wednesday, Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, built a new deck, installed a ramp and made other upgrades to his home to make it safer and more accessible for Rosas and his wife. 

More than two dozen volunteers spent six hours making improvements to the Rosas’ home, including a new building a new porch.

Rosas served in the Army on active duty in Seoul, South Korea, from 1968-70, later returning to California to serve in the reserves until his honorable discharge in 1974. He and his wife, Maria, now live in  Bernalillo, where they would enjoy evenings on their front porch with another veteran couple. Their beloved porch has deteriorated, and the Rosas were no longer able to enjoy it as a gathering place due to safety concerns. Also, the porch serves as the main entryway to the Rosas home and connects to the ramp Rosas must use, currently impeding safe entrance and exit from his home. After recent health procedures, he needs assistance to make the home safe and to allow them to enjoy evenings with their friends once again.  

The volunteer projects completed Wednesday also included building a new fence, planting flowers being , demo and debris removal, adding grab bars and shower set with faucet and installing a new back door.

Bryan Foster, the district captain for the Team Depot Foundation, said his group provided the materials and 20 volunteers for the project, which was set up by RTSC, a group that works to provide disabled veterans with ramps, platforms or anything else they might need.

This year, The Home Depot Foundation is celebrating 30 years of giving back to its communities through Team Depot. In honor of this milestone, the Foundation is investing more than $10 million to community service projects across the country in 2023.This spring, The Home Depot Foundation is working with Rebuilding Together affiliates nationwide to address accessibility needs for veterans in local communities. Team Depot and Rebuilding Together volunteers are working to build and install wheelchair ramps, landscape and complete much needed home repairs for veteran homeowners like Rosas. 

 ”It’s great, It’s part of our core values, giving back to our communities,” Foster said. “It’s a great thing because all these associates are volunteering their own time, along with working during the week. To just come out here and do this and to see the appreciation from the veterans’ families, that makes it well worth our time.”