Home Depot gives a big hand at Veterans Home garden

Drizzly conditions did not halt volunteers working to improve the gardens at the Montana Veterans Home last Thursday and Friday.

The joint effort by Home Depot, the Montana Veterans Home, and Farming for the Future Academy saw several projects completed, though the rain did mean that the volunteer turnout was fewer than expected, said Home Depot store manager Tom Stafford.

The improvement to the gardens was a project that began last year, Stafford explained, with a $15,000 grant.

This year, work to make the gardens accessible to the veterans continues with another grant, this one for $20,000.

Specific projects the team tackled this year included paving the walkway, building 40 raised garden beds, building a fence and renovating the interior of a lean-to that was erected last year, and creating a chicken and duck coop.

Gravel had already been laid on Friday morning, but rain had turned the area to soup, making laying the pavers more difficult, Stafford said.

After the corner of the garden is paved, it will be outfitted with the raised beds.

The beds, a completely new design than the two styles of raised beds already in the garden, will be styled like tables, making them wheelchair-accessible.

“This way veterans should be able to get wheelchairs under them, and reach further into the bed,” said Sonny Vigallon, a Home Depot Community Captain.

Academy Director Sherry Lewis-Peterson was thankful for all the help.

“I am amazed how each home depot volunteer came with a desire to make our garden a better place for our veterans using wheelchairs and walkers ... they aren’t contractors or carpenters, they are employees, but every one of them were building, shoveling, and pouring cement. It’s unbelievable that some of them came all the way from Great Falls, Helena, Billings, and Missoula to help with this project. We are all so grateful for the work they have done,” she said.

She also thanked Teakettle Cafe, Laurie’s Deli for food donations and Schellinger Construction for donation of gravel.

The garden now has a pony, two sheep, a llama, several chickens and ducks and a host of rabbits.

Volunteers take the rabbits into the Veterans Home. The Veterans, wearing special aprons so they don’t get scratched, then pet the rabbits, which are very docile.

The pony and the llama also visit the veterans in the facility’s courtyard.