Hundreds of associates from The Home Depot have brought the passion of the soccer field to Hispanic communities across the nation by partnering with the Mexican National Soccer Team and Hands On Network. The group completed refurbishment projects in six cities where the Mexican National Team played friendly matches leading up to the World Cup: Oakland, Los Angeles, Charlotte, New York, Chicago and Houston.
“The Home Depot always seeks to team up with individuals and organizations that are as dedicated to giving back to the community through volunteerism as we are," says Jennifer Oliveras, sports marketing manager for The Home Depot. The projects, done in collaboration with soccer legend Luis Hernandez “El Matador” and other Mexican National Team players, will have a positive, lasting impact on the lives of children in these communities.
“I admire The Home Depot and its associates for their hands-on service and commitment to giving back to Hispanic communities,” says Hernandez, who led the Mexican National Team in 1998 to one of their best World Cup showings. “I look forward to working alongside them at each project site and to being a part of a program that’s making a difference in the lives of Hispanic families.”
The Home Depot is aware that many schools and organizations are experiencing budget cuts, and is proud to be able to help improve their facilities with this type of beautification project. In Oakland, The Home Depot partnered with Learning Without Limits, a college preparatory elementary school, and painted game boards on the ground, repainted interior spaces of the school and installed bulletin boards to show student accomplishments.
In Charlotte, volunteers worked at Collinswood Language Academy, one of the first schools in the state to offer a dual-language Spanish Immersion Program. Together with representatives from the Mexican National Team and Hands On Network, The Home Depot volunteers revamped the front entrance to the academy, spruced up the soccer field, built benches for students and faculty, and created raised beds for gardening.
“Our work made a world of difference for these kids and made them feel really special,” says Mark Ortiz, district manager with The Home Depot. “As a Latino, I feel very attached to these projects. They show the community how much we care about the communities we serve, and it was a lot of fun to have the kids watch us put it all together.”
It is no secret that soccer has always been a big part of the Hispanic community, and bringing sports and volunteerism together is a great way to have a positive impact on communities in which The Home Depot operates. At Collinswood Language Academy, Hernandez and Mexican National Team goalie Memo Ochoa did more than trade their cleats for tools. “Both soccer stars signed autographs for the children, and "El Matador” spent time working with the kids doing soccer practices and scrimmage,” says Ortiz. “It was fun for them to do all that on top of working to beautify the school.”
"In each city we visit, the community is always excited when they see Hernandez and current Mexican National Team players,” says Oliveras. “They are well-received wherever they go, and it is a testament to the popularity of the Mexican National Team in this country.”
Héctor Moreno, Tony Quintanilla, Luis Hernández and Javier Hernández roll up their sleeves. The Home Depot is honored to work with these players to make a positive, lasting impact in Hispanic neighborhoods.
A group of The Home Depot associates paint attractive murals at a school. In the last two years, community projects like this one have benefited more than 10,000 Hispanic families.