- April 18, 2024
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DAV's Chris Jones, DAV Cmdr. George O'Nell, Auxilary Cmdr. Marty Feidler, Home Depot's Darlene Shelley and Ronnie Wells, DAV's Eddie Morris and volunteer Deanna Sieling. Photo by Paige Wilson
Darlene Shelley, Team Depot captain, helps with the beautification efforts. Photo by Paige Wilson
Team Depot volunteer Deanna Sieling plants greenery along the side of the building. Photo by Paige Wilson
Team Depot members Kevin Corcoran, Mike Cort-Real and Maddy Connaughton spread mulch and place rocks along the building's road side. Photo by Paige Wilson
DAV member Jim Boyd uses a shovel to make room for new plants. Photo by Paige Wilson
DAV volunteers and Home Depot staff pose for a ribbon-cutting celebration photo. Photo by Paige Wilson
To the Disabled American Veterans Jim Booe Chapter 86 in Palm Coast, the addition of new mulch, plants and a fresh coat of paint is more than just a makeover for the building. It’s also a way to encourage more local veterans to take advantage of the chapter’s services.
“When I’m out in the community, I bump into some veterans and start talking to them, and they either No. 1 don’t know there’s a DAV in Palm Coast, in Flagler County, or they think we’re still out on the beach,” DAV Cmdr. George O’Dell said. “And it’s sad because [we’ve] been here over three years. We’re just trying to get more visible in the community. We’re trying to help the community a little bit more and get some more community involvement.”
About a dozen Palm Coast Home Depot employees, plus about 25 DAV members and volunteers, rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty on Thursday, Sept. 20, during the beautification project at 27 Florida Park Drive N.
Improvements included: a border fence put up between the DAV property and the residential housing next door, paint touchups inside the building (thanks to a crew from The Home Depot’s partner Bear Paint), 160 bags of mulch and four palettes of plants.
The Home Depot General Manager Ronnie Wells said the store provided a $5,000 grant to the DAV, which included the materials and a work crew. During September, The Home Depot is celebrating service month to show support to veterans nationwide, he said.
“It lets them know that they’re not only working for a retailer in the community but a retailer that’s really involved in the community,” Wells said. “And I have a lot of veterans that work at my store. … So, not only are we helping our community, we’re also helping our employees that work for us.”
Palm Coast Auxiliary Unit 86 Cmdr. Marty Feidler was there to help provide food and refreshments for the volunteer staff. As a DAV member herself, she was thrilled to see the beautification efforts take place.
“The more people can see us and see that we care, the more they’re going to get involved I think,” Feidler said.
DAV volunteer Carol Pizzuto emphasized how important a more presentable landscaping will be for the organization.
“I want them to come to the property and say, ‘Yeah, I feel good here. I’ll have them help me,’ because it’s always a bit of a strain to have proud veterans get help,” Pizzuto said. “And I don’t want them to feel like that; I want them to feel comfortable.”
The next DAV meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9. Call 439-2122.
