Video: Grant, Home Depot And Volunteers Help Local School With Improvements

GUNTOWN, MISS. (WCBI) – Sandy Turner took a few hours away from her work as a real estate agent at Crye-Leike Realty, to help haul bags of mulch.

“They just posted where they needed some volunteers and I thought I would help out.” Turner said.

Her son , Ethan, is an eighth grader at Guntown Middle School, which recently underwent a major renovation , thanks to a bond issue. However, there were some areas in the courtyard and recreation area that needed a facelift.

That’s where the Home Depot Foundation helped out with a $2,000  grant. Twelve Home Depot associates, and other volunteers, built a 16 foot pavilion, complete with benches and landscaping.

“Home Depot has a Team Depot Foundation that gives 80 million dollars a year to split amongst our almost 25 hundred stores and we use that to help children and veterans and any disabled persons around in our community,” said LaToya Loyd, of Home Depot.

While one team is working hard at the recreation site, volunteers are also putting decorative plants around the school sign. These projects started with one discussion about the need for a new water fountain.

“When it’s a hundred degrees, those kids would line up for days waiting on the water fountain, so this actually started by us contacting Home Depot in Tupelo, asking them if they would give us a discount on a water fountain, we had no idea, couldn’t have dreamnt it would become such a big project,” said Lucas Ferguson, a teacher at Guntown Middle School.

A few students were able to help out, and they believe the community support sends a strong message to the school.

“That they really care about us and they’re working hard,” said eighth grader Brianna Huckaby.

A 1 Roofing and Home Repair donated time and labor for the pavilion’s roof.

Also, the water fountain has been donated by Home Depot and will be installed soon in the sixth grade building.