*If you don't know who the Dilley family is you may want to get caught up before reading this post.... Start with the post when I introduced the Give Good contest, then the one where I introduced the Dilley family and then read the one where they won.
Back in December we found out the Dilley family had won the $20,000 home makeover thanks to your amazing efforts in voting on the Home Depot's Facebook page. Words can't express how grateful I was to all of you who voted and spread the word about this amazing military family.Seriously.
On Friday I had the privilege of being in attendance when the Dilley family saw the final makeover reveal. And it wasn't a $20,000 home makeover...... It was a $60,000 home makeover! Because Home Depot rocks.
(One of their daughters was trying her wheelchair out on the ramp further down so she is not pictured here)
My family has gotten to know them over the course of the last 8 months and so I wanted them to be able to be there as well. My boys were excited to see their kids again :) This was the first time meeting Kevin since he JUST got home from overseas.
I can only imagine how overwhelming it must have been to drive up to their house with all the media, Home Depot employees, and others in the crowd! The Dilley family had been staying in a hotel and on base in temporary housing for almost a week while the final projects were being done. The new roof, heater, and air conditioner, and insulation had all been replaced months before but the fun stuff like the flooring, paint, new kitchen, landscaping and more were all a surprise for them.
Before the ribbon cutting ceremony, Devin spoke about the whole process. He is the District Services manager and was in charge of co-coordinating the whole makeover.
Here is the clip of what he said if you are interested.
I took a lot of pictures. Probably too many. And to be honest I was shaking so much and not really paying attention to my setting. So a lot of them are blurry. But this one of one of my favorites. It shows how overwhelmed and grateful they were. And happy :)
Not only did they get a completely new kitchen, but a new floor plan that allows the girls in wheel chairs to fit through the narrow entry.
I want to share with you my all time favorite part of the whole day. The part that made the happiest and made me cry the hardest. Every loves little Irelynn. She captures your heart the first second you meet her. I remember going to their house last winter to tell them they were in the running to win. Their house had a combination of tile, carpet, and hardwood. Little Irelynn couldn't really wheel herself around the house. She was dependent on others to get her from room to room.
But Home Depot installed hardwood throughout the whole upstairs. Watching Irelynn's face light up as she wheeled herself all around the house was AMAZING. Life-altering-makes-you-grateful-for-the-little-things kind of amazing. It melted my heart.
You can see her wheeling around on the news clip:
This is me with Kelly from Home Depot Headquarters. She flew out from Atlanta to be here for the big reveal. See, she is the reason this whole Give Good project even came about. She is never mentioned in the media and stays quietly behind the scenes. But this was her idea and I want her to know I think she is incredible and has a huge heart.
I also want to thank the volunteers that worked SO HARD to complete the makeover in the short amount of time they had. There over 130 Home Depot employees who volunteered their time and talents from the area that worked non-stop for 5 days. And they did it with giant smiles on their faces. And there were vendors who donated products when they heard about the Dilley family.
I love service. I love it because it makes a difference in the lives of the people who are receiving but also for those doing it. Only good comes from giving.
I've been wondering about the Dilley family for a while now! So happy to get to see their reveal! Their house looks fabulous, and I'm so happy to hear that it's more accessible for their kids! Congratulations, Dilley Family!
Oh goodie!! I have wondered many times on the progress. So happy for them and their family! What a neat thing. So glad we all voted for them!
So glad you posted this! I've thought about them now and again and it's so heartwarming to see them get what they so truly deserve. Congrats once again to the Dilley Family!
What a wonderful gift for a deserving family! Thanks for the update! THe next time you're up this way you should stop by.
You did an amazing job. Such a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved and such a great family. Way to go!
Crying like a baby here! Love it and so happy to see how much the community pulled together to make this all go from something great to out of this world amazing! Love the update.
What an amazing story! I love Home Depot even more. I'm so glad the Dilley family won.
I'm so glad you did an update, have to admit having a tear in my eye reading this. Its amazing what can be achieved when people pull together.
Wow Stacy how wonderful that you were able to be a part of this marvelous project for such a deserving family! Everything looks fantastic. Like I always say - "There's no place like Home . . . DEPOT"!
Warmly, Michelle
Awesome, stacy! So cool that you had a huge part in this! What a great gift you helped to facilitate! You are awesome!
Awesome. That's so cool you got to be a part of something so amazing. With all the dumb stuff in the world, I love it when good things happen for good people. :)
That is so heart warming and wonderful to read about! Thanks for sharing it!
Way to go, Stacey! Heartwarming story.
Yea for you and Home Depot! It is nice to see people helping others in this and it gives me hope that in a world that sometimes seems filled with indifference, there are still people who care!! I am so happy for Dilley family and thrilled that this will make their lives easier.
So touching! They are blessed and they deserved it. And there is a reason why they awarded this to
their family. Great job Home Depot!
This is amazing! What a wonderful thing to be a part of!
Just amazing. What a wonderful family.. You are such a beautiful person, inside and out.
You have an amazing family
Dear Stacy,
You never cease to amaze me! What a beautiful blog for me to read this day and give thanks for all that I have and can do. Change is inevitable, but with hope, faith and a friendly TEAM like yours and Home Depot, anything is possible!
Thank you for such an encouraging message! I had to read all the material to catch up! It was so worth it!
God Bless!