Marika Oliver and Chad Novak of The Home Depot greet Richard Mouhot with a beautiful basket of zinnias

Friday, May 13, 2011 was the hottest day of the week.  THA Group Island Hospice patient Richard Mouhot , daughter Laura and their large dog Tattoo, were keeping cool with box fans in the ground floor of their Whitemash Island home.  Life has not been easy for the Mouhots.  Seven years ago, Mr. Mouhot, a retired veteran and flight instructor, moved from Palm Beach, Florida to live with Laura.  Shortly after moving, he was hospitalized for illness and has been sick ever since.  He is now under the care of THA Group Island Hospice.  Laura, whose love for her father is obvious, quit her thriving career to be his caretaker.  Between loss of income and mountainous medical bills, the Mouhots have had to cut out a number of expenses, including central air conditioning.

THA Group Island Hospice Social Worker Suzanne Coote wanted to help the Mouhots, and asked the Home Depot on Victory Drive if they would consider donating a window air conditioning unit to the family.  Home Depot employee Marika Oliver told Coote that because of the overwhelming number of requests they receive on a daily basis, the company generally cannot fulfill such individual requests.  Oliver, however, was compelled by the Mouhot’s story, and pressed her superiors for the donation.  They complied.

On that hot Friday, Oliver and her colleague Chad Novak, arrived at the Mouhot residence with a beautiful hanging basket full of Zinnias and ready to install the air conditioning unit.  Not only did they bring a much needed fresh breeze to the Mouhot home, but their smiling faces and effervescent personalities brightened Mr. Mouhot’s room.  Home Depot may be a global company, but on this day, they were a caring, small-town, Georgia–grown business, assisting a neighbor in need.

The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,245 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and China. In fiscal 2010, The Home Depot had sales of $68.0 billion and earnings from continuing operations of $3.3 billion. The Company employs more than 300,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Island Hospice, a THA Group 501(c)3 company, helps individuals with a life-limiting illness and their families cope with life’s final jour­ney. Our non-profit hospice provides clinical care, comfort and support in the home, allowing clients and families to focus on being together. THA Group is a leading-edge, locally owned and operated in-home health care company serving the Low Country and Coastal Empire.

To view more pictures, click here to visit our Facebook page.