Building Toward Recovery: Home Depot Co-Founders Donate $40M to New Mental Health Network Serving Veterans
It’s never too late to build something new—especially when it’s for the greater good!
Over 40 years since they first founded The Home Depot in Atlanta, Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus are teaming up once again. This time, they’re joining forces to fund a new national network designed to help veterans and first responders who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, and substance abuse find peace.
The longtime business partners and friends are each donating a generous $20 million toward the cause. This new wellness network—known as the Avalon Network—will be a part of the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization that has been serving veterans and providing resources for the past 10 years.
If Gary Sinise doesn’t already sound familiar, you may recognize him for his role as Lieutenant Dan in “Forrest Gump.” The actor and philanthropist has said that helping veterans is his lifetime mission, being involved in causes and creating programs for over 40 years. Sinise’s dedication and long history working with veterans is what inspired Blank and Marcus to help him jumpstart the new initiative.
The Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network will work with the Boulder Crest Foundation’s Warrior PATHH program to establish 20 new treatment centers across the country. The centers will serve thousands of veterans, first responders, and their families and will focus on providing cognitive and mental health services.
Blank and Marcus look forward to seeing the program come to fruition, as it has the potential to help so many heroes who serve our country and protect us. Veterans and first responders are often overlooked or don’t receive adequate services, and their higher suicide rate makes it especially important to provide accessible and comprehensive mental health resources.
The two Atlanta-based philanthropists believe that the Avalon Network will help thousands of our nation’s most dedicated protectors to find the peace and true recovery that they deserve.
