Volunteers Transform Soldier's Yard Into Safe Haven
(CBS) -- A Chicago soldier leaving town for training was worried for his children.
That's because he didn't think his own yard was a safe place for them to play while he's gone.
That changed this week, thanks to some volunteers. CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports.
"I started crying because there was a sense of release on my heart to see that they care," National Guard member Roger Britton says.
"They" are the team of Home Depot volunteers who gave Britton and his family a priceless gift.
The crew transformed the family's yard in just a couple of days for free.
"They brought in about 40 volunteers, a lot of people just coming and going, bringing food and showing that they care and getting the yard safe and cleaned up," an emotional Britton said Thursday. "It's beautiful."
He leaves for a two-week training in Wisconsin late this week.
He was afraid to make the trip because his worn and rickety fence left his yard and his family open to danger.
"Being that there was no front gate, people could come in whenever they wanted, and the kids could slip out," his wife, Sarah, says.
With their daughter needing eight surgeries in the past three years, the family couldn't manage to make necessary repairs. Luxuries like a blooming garden and new lawn were out of the question -- until the Brittons wrote to Home Depot.
Volunteers turned old tree trunks into plant stands. They replaced a tattered swing with a new one.
It leaves Roger free to serve - without fear.
The store at 47th and Western provided the volunteers. They're the people you see working in the different departments of the store every day.
