Building for Better: Home Depot Donates Fence to Oliver Gospel’s Center for Women and Children

Columbia, SC: On Saturday morning, The Home Depot, off Two Notch Road in Columbia, South Carolina, gathered at Oliver Gospel’s center for women and children, Toby’s Place, to construct a fence around the playground. They wrapped up the project this afternoon. The hardware store is donating the funds for all the building materials and the time and labor of a team of employees to complete the project. Mark Heaton, the head of the project, says,

"At Home Depot, we do everything with eight core values in mind, one of which is giving back. I'm here today as a representative of the Home Depot Foundation, and one of our goals is to give back to the community. We believe that our interaction with our customers does not end at the cashier station when they check out, but our interaction should also reach out to the community. I'm feeling great today out here with the team giving back and helping to support Toby's Place."

The fence will serve as an extra measure of safety and security for the residents and their children who are living at Toby’s Place. The playground is an important part of the children’s regular activities at the women and children’s center, allowing them to get exercise, play, and spend time outside after school. This fence will allow the mothers at the center to feel safer as their children play. Mindy Jamison, Director of Transformation at Oliver Gospel, says,

“We are so grateful for Home Depot and the community volunteers for donating their time and energy to build a fence around our playground to keep our children safe while they play.”

About Oliver Gospel Mission: Oliver Gospel is a community-based mission that helps those experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction transform their lives through physical, spiritual, and relational support to lead full, healthy lives.

Through our Men's Center, Toby's Place (center for women and children), and our social enterprises, we provide holistic rehabilitation, transitional housing, and career development, always aiming for permanent housing and a solid community for each person who comes through our doors.