Orange Door campaign a hit at Home Depot

The Home Depot has come one step closer to eliminating youth homelessness in Canada after sponsoring an inventive in-store campaign.

By purchasing a paper door for $2, Home Depot customers in Canada raised $1,253,370 toward the goal of ending youth homelessness in that nation. Donations will go to support housing and life-skills development programs such as counselling, financial literacy, and employment preparation to give youth the practical tools they need to live to their full potential.

"Many youth-serving charities rely solely on grants, fundraisers and donations to deliver much needed services to help vulnerable youth build brighter futures," said Bill Lennie, chair, board of directors, The Home Depot Canada Foundation and president, The Home Depot Canada. "Through the support of our customers and the commitment of our associates, we made a measureable impact in the lives of vunerable, Canadian youth. We are absolutely one step closer to eliminating youth homelessness across the country."

The Home Depot Canada Foundation match program means the top 10 fundraising communities based on top dollar sales and top sales as a percentage of transactions will receive a dollar-for-dollar match. This means:

• Bridging the Gap Halton in Milton, Ontario will receive $43,736

• Crisis Centre North Bay in North Bay, Ontario will receive $30,860

• Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth in Toronto, Ontario will receive $50,548

• John Howard Society of Durham Region in Oshawa, Ontario will receive $34,312

• Ktunaxa Nation Council in Cranbrook, British Columbia will receive $20,104

• Maison Raymond Roy in Victoriaville, Quebec will receive $12,100

• Orillia Youth Centre in Orillia, Ontario will receive $34,908

• Our Place Peel in Etobicoke, Ontario will receive $55,860

• The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation in Huntsville, Ontario will receive $20,144

• Youth Impact Jeunesse Inc. in Moncton, New Brunswick will receive $23,248

"We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Orange Door Project," said Kevin Jon Gangloff, director, Orillia Youth Centre. "The Home Depot Canada Foundation is our ally in putting an end to youth homelessness. As a local, non-profit organization, this partnership allows us to raise funds on a larger scale than what we could do on our own."