May 7, 2026
Our neighbor, Henry Gilder served in the army for 25 years (1982-2007) and was honorably discharged from service. Henry, his partner Merih, and their 3 children made their home in East Austin. In recent years, Henry suffered a stroke, which left him paralyzed on the left side and is unable to use his left arm or leg. With his disability, Henry was in need of a helping hand. That's when Meals on Wheels Central Texas stepped in with the support The Home Depot Foundation.
Merih, Henry's partner, was the sole provider and after the injury, she had to take time off of work to provide care for Henry. Merih shares that due to the financial strain of taking time off work while managing the everyday expenses of caring for a family of five, their family put necessary home repairs on hold.
“We didn’t have enough funds to repair the roof even though it had hail damage. I put what money I could to minor repairs, but it needed major work,” shares Merih.
Merih also reveals that repairs she had contracted before were insufficient. With Henry's disability, the home was also in need of accessibility accommodations to support Henry’s needs, especially in the bathroom and shower.
“That’s when we applied to Meals on Wheels Central Texas Home Repair Program. With the support of The Home Depot Foundation and Meals on Wheels, our home looks wonderful, and we are enjoying the accessibility,” Merih shares.
The Home Depot Helps Central Texas Homebound Heroes
Thank you to The Home Depot Foundation for supporting major and minor home repairs for our homebound veterans. With your support, heroes like Henry can rest assure they can remain in their homes with dignity and independence. Support from the local community also makes these critical home repairs and other life-enriching services possible.
Click the donate button below to make a contribution that helps local veterans safely age in place in the homes they love.