Lowe’s stores team up to upgrade local children’s shelter

Carolina Youth Development Center’s children have a cozier and brighter living space thanks to a generous contribution of funding and volunteers from five Charleston-area Lowe’s Home Improvement stores.

Twenty Lowe’s Heroes volunteers contributed materials and 250 hours of labor over three days as part of a project benefiting Carolina Youth Development Center (CYDC). Lowe’s Heroes is a company-wide volunteer initiative that offers Lowe’s employees the opportunity to work on a project in their own neighborhood, helping to make their communities better places to live, work and play.

This year’s project, which took place on October 27-28 and November 1, provided much-needed facility upgrades to CYDC’s Charleston Emergency Shelter, which serves youth in foster care who have been abused or neglected.

The shelter building improvements included replacing old sinks, vanities and washer and dryer with news ones. Lowe’s Heroes installed new wainscoting in the living room and kitchen areas and also added homier decorative touches, such as a fireplace, new rugs, frames for house pictures and a gaming system.

“We are extremely grateful to the Lowe’s volunteers for the upgrades to our Charleston Emergency Shelter and the generous donation of materials and labor that made it possible,” said Interim CEO OF CYDC Beth Kerrigan.

“Not only were these facility improvements needed, but most importantly, our children love the new additions that have enhanced their living space.”

Lowe’s stores also donated the tools they used on the project to CYDC’s maintenance supervisor, who had previously been using his own personal tools for CYDC maintenance projects.

Carolina Youth Development Center is a 501 (c) (3) organization whose mission is to empower and equip our community’s most vulnerable children by providing a safe environment, educational support, and career readiness, in collaboration with families and community partners. CYDC’s programs serve youth and families in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties.

About Lowe’s in the Community:

Lowe’s, a FORTUNE ® 50 home improvement company, has a 50-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. Since 2007, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed more than $250 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe’s Heroes volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility and LowesInTheCommunity.tumblr.com.