Home Depot selected for chamber honors

PONDERAY — The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce has selected The Home Depot as its April Business of the Month.

Founded in 1978 and with two stores built in 1979, the company since grown to more than 2,000 stores. The Ponderay store opened its doors in January 2005 with a 103,000-square-foot building and more than 35,000 different types of products.

The Ponderay Home Depot is all about building relationships in the community, store manager Nickie Wernecke said.

Employing 100 people, Ponderay Home Depot officials said they are thrilled to give back to organizations and events in and around Sandpoint. One step further, associates donate their time to help out folks through a program called Team Depot, Wernecke said. Team Depot volunteers, in conjunction with Kootenai Elementary staff, students and parents built raised gardens at the school.

Other meaningful donations of time included Ponderay Home Depot associates volunteering their time to help a veteran fulfill a promise to his wife by painting his large living room — something he was unable to do because of a long-term illness. Also, a few projects at Transitions in Progress Women’s Shelter beginning with replacing more than 80 feet of wood fencing, redoing TIP’s community kitchen and bath as well as a kitchen and bath in one of their private units.

The Ponderay Home Depot has donated to hundreds of local organizations since opening in 2005.