Grand Rapids Home for Veterans receives $900,000 grant for entrance upgrades

Contact: Veronica LaDuke 517-284-5243 or 517-256-7843

August 14, 2013

LANSING – The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency announced today that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded the State of Michigan more than $900,000 to upgrade the main entrance at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. The Home is getting a new, much larger canopy with upgraded lighting for its main entrance, a new heated, all-weather walkway and upgrades to its interior lobby area. The upgrades will provide a safer and more inviting entrance to the Home for residents and visitors alike.

“We are very excited about the upgrades to our front entrance,” said Grand Rapids Home for Veterans Administrator Sara Dunne. “To our members, the Home is just that – a home, and they deserve a comfortable, warm and inviting place to live. This project, as well as the projects being completed through the Home Depot Foundation’s Aprons in Action program, will go a long way to ensuring we continue to provide that inviting and homelike environment here at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans."

The new canopy will cover 5700 square feet, nearly seven times the area of the previous canopy, and will allow people to travel from the building to an awaiting vehicle without being exposed to the elements. The walkway will also get more than 3500 square feet of new hot water heating underneath it to keep it clear of ice and slush in the winter months. New lighting will provide additional security for those entering and leaving the Home at night. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately $1.2 million, with the USDVA grant providing a 65% match on all project expenses.

In addition to the exterior improvements, the interior lobby will be opened up and remodeled, making it a more welcoming space for people arriving at the Home. The Home is also benefiting from projects being completed by The Home Depot Foundation through its Aprons in Action program. Earlier this year, the Home won a total of $175,000, $25,000 of which is being used to upgrade the Home’s greenhouse and potting shed as well as for landscaping, with the remaining $150,000 being used for room renovations.