Lowe's $100 million impact program, dubbed Lowe's Hometowns, is kicking off for the third year in a row.
Through the five-year program, associates sporting the company's iconic red vests revitalize spaces in communities across the nation, such as food pantries, veteran support programs, first responder facilities, affordable housing services and community gardens.
With its partner, Points of Light, the Lowe’s Hometowns signature grant program has already renovated 149 community centers, affordable housing facilities, shelters and food pantries. Associates have already refurbished 15 first responder, veteran and military family facilities, and built and improved 54 community gardens, parks and playgrounds. In total, they have already impacted more than 2.5 million people through such efforts, according to Lowe's.
LOWE'S FOUNDATION INVESTS $50M TO ADDRESS 'CRITICAL' TRADESPEOPLE WORKER SHORTAGE
If they keep this pace, Lowe's Executive Vice President Janice Dupre said they will be on track to impact 10 million people by the time the program wraps up.
Through Feb. 19, people nationwide will have a chance to nominate the next 100 projects to receive a grant. These projects will be among the nearly 1,800 projects that associates are expected to complete this year.
The other 1,700 projects will be selected by Lowe's associates as part of Lowe's Hometowns Heroes program.
LOWE'S CEO: PHYSICAL STORES ARE 'BIGGEST CENTRAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE' IN RETAIL
"I think that it's a way for us to, first of all, listen to what's relevant and important for our customers," Dupre said.
She also hopes it will draw more customer loyalty. With this program, they "see us as a part of the family, as a part of the neighborhood, a part of their community, because we're not just there to sell product, but we're there to make a difference," she added.
This program, according to Dupre, is "a very loud way to be able to say we're going to invest $100 million over five years in your projects that you tell us… are important to you… so I think that it will garner a lot of goodwill."
Some projects will get as much as $100,000 in funding, according to Dupre.
"We've made some pretty significant investments in some communities based on how big the need was and how far the reach would be," she said.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Narrowing down the projects isn't easy, though Dupre said they have a strong focus on helping those with disabilities.
One of the projects that stood out among them all was when they built a playground and play space specially for deaf and hard of hearing children with the nonprofit Aid the Silent in San Antonio.
According to Aid of Silent founder Emma Faye Rudkin, children with cochlear implants cannot play on plastic playgrounds because the static electricity wipes out the programming of their implant.
This effort was one example of how the company focuses on its responsibility to help the communities it serves. CEO Marvin Ellison has repeatedly noted that the company aims "to be part of the solution to their most critical issues."
