All smiles for the cheque presentation

By Aaron Mahoney

Big Brothers Big Sisters receives $50,000 grant donation to help with renovations from Home Depot

Jun 5, 2019 | 12:00 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – When you’re looking to create more space through renovations to assist more kids in need, any help goes a long way.

For Big Brothers Big Sisters Lethbridge and District, help came in the form of a $50,000 grant after they were chosen as the recipients of the Home Depot Canada Foundation Grant. They held a cheque presentation on Wednesday, June 5, to celebrate at the local Home Depot.

Executive Director Jen Viser says she became aware of the $50,000 grant when a Home Depot employee named Lane mentioned it to her when he came to their offices.

“I told him about a renovation that we were doing, and he mentioned that there was a grant opportunity and that we should apply. Grant applications have a lot that goes into them, so I thought OK we’ll see, and then to get the call that we were successful was beyond exciting.”

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Big Brothers Big Sisters are doing a whole expansion to their building, Viser explains it’s kind of like an L shape, and since they’re in a historical building everyone knows where the Big Brothers house is.

“We wanted to stay in the building, but we were outgrowing it. We have added by about a 140% increase in children served, so we served 600 kids last year, and we have a staff of seven. We do not have the space and capacity, so we have to add more space. With this grant and money received through the Rotary Foundation and the Community Foundation with the Lethbridge Auto Dealers Association, we’ve received $159,000 in total. We have raised in reserve funds over 15 years the remaining portion of the half-million project, and we will start the project in July and then hopefully be done by the end of the year,” Viser said.

On top of the grant, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Home Depot also have another fundraising campaign going on together.

Store Manager Janna McNeil, Jen Viser with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Lane

Local Home Depot Store Manager Janna McNeil says the company focuses on a fundraising campaign twice a year called the Orange Door Project, with the goal to try and stop youth homelessness within Canada.

“The company goal is $22 million, and Lethbridge takes on a different organization whenever we feel the need,” she continued. “Last time we supported Woods Homes, and this time we were passionate about going with Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

They do a variety of things through the store, including the cashiers and any other associates who work there talking to customers about what they’re going after.

“It’s $2 per door, and we also do some in-store fundraising. Tomorrow we’ll be having a barbeque for our staff, and the cost is $4, so they’ll get a hamburger, pop and chips, and that’s two doors that get purchased out of their lunch donation,” McNeil stated.

The money raised through the Orange Door Project will go towards programming for Big Brothers Big Sisters, while the $50,000 grant will go entirely towards their renovations.

Why specifically did Home Depot see the value in helping out Big Brothers Big Sisters? According to McNeil, Lane, the employee mentioned earlier on by Viser, was the lynchpin in that decision.

“He was involved in the program in the past and felt very passionate about it. So, he brought it forward to me, and I said absolutely let’s try it. We’ve done the YWCA, and we’ve done Woods Homes, so we thought it was a great organization to get behind.

“They’ve been amazingly supportive coming into the store constantly to talk about the cause and raise awareness around it as well. It’s been a great partnership between them and us,” McNeil said.