Project Fix It is a new partnership that was formed between the Antelope Home Depot® and the North Sac News (NSN). Once a month, a homeowner from the community will be selected to be the recipient of a mini-makeover in their home. The Antelope Home Depot® provides everything at no cost to the homeowner. They have an experienced crew that is made up of three or four employees from their store that spend about six hours making improvements to one room in the home.
In November 2011, the NSN selected one of their readers to be the very first recipient of a mini-makeover for their home. Leandra Hackwith owns a home on Blackjack Street in Sacramento, and was pleasantly surprised when she was contacted by a member of the NSN staff. “I was so excited when they told me about the project and that I was chosen. I was blessed beyond words”, exclaimed Mrs. Hackwith. She made a list of three different projects that were possibilities, and when the Project Fix It crew arrived from Home Depot® she was very happy to hear they had decided to perform the makeover on her kitchen. The crew included a licensed contractor, a painter and a laborer – all of whom are employed at the Antelope Home Depot®.
The crew repaired some termite damage to the frame and drywall around Leandra’s kitchen window, painted the walls and ceiling, hung a new light fixture and also threw in a surprise for her. All of the improvements listed above were on the list that Leandra submitted, as well as a new backsplash. “I was thinking that they would put in a stainless steel backsplash, so I was so surprised when they opened the first box of the most beautiful glass mosaic tile. It is gorgeous,” stated Mrs. Hackwith. She said that the colors that are in the mosaic tile will give her the opportunity to be creative in her color scheme when it comes to decorating, so she’s just as pleased as she could be. Leandra also told us that the crew was friendly and a pleasure to have in her home. They even let her help a little bit with applying the mosaic tile, which was a great gift for her as she truly enjoys crafts and working on décor projects.
Project Fix It presents the opportunity for the Antelope Home Depot® to fulfill one of their company’s core values: Giving Back. Donald Martinez has been the manager of our local Home Depot® since September of 2010. He stated, “Since the opening of our doors, this community has given us tremendous support. We would like to show our gratitude by giving back the best way we can.” Home Depot® has always been involved with projects that give to the community. They typically partner with other stores in the area and work on projects on a larger scale, so this is a first of its kind project for them. When asked why they chose to partner with the NSN for Project Fix It, Donald said, “Through conversations throughout the community, North Sac News was often mentioned as having their hand on the pulse of the people in the community.” The costs associated with the remodel vary based on the scale of the improvement project that is being done, but all of the material and labor are provided courtesy of the Home Depot®. “Seeing the joy in the homeowner’s eyes, knowing that someone cared enough to do this for them for free without any expectations put upon them is the best part of Project Fix It for me,” said Mr. Martinez.
The plan is for Project Fix It to provide the makeover opportunity to a different homeowner each month. If you would like to apply or nominate a homeowner in the community, please visit the web site at www.northsacnews.com/projectfixit. You will also find a video and before and after pictures of Leandra Hackwith’s kitchen makeover on the site. Look for monthly updates online and in the North Sac News to keep up with future improvements!
The North Sac News would like to thank Donald Martinez, Judy Silva and the staff at the Antelope Home Depot® for the opportunity to work with them, and – on behalf of the community – for giving back!