Married 43 years, Ms. Rose and Mr. Merle have lived in their Denver, Colorado area home for 11 years but lately it's getting harder and harder for each of them to get around in their own home. Rose uses a walker and Merle, a Vietnam veteran who joined the military when he was just 17, doesn't hear very well. The couple knew they needed some work done on their home to make it more accessible, but also knew they couldn't really afford the repairs.

Rose said, "We didn't know that help was available, but are so excited to learn about Rebuilding Together from Max. I've been concerned about our safety and wondered how in the world we would ever pay for the repairs." Max, also a veteran and a neighbor, recently had repairs completed on his home by Rebuilding Together.

The nonprofit repairs homes across the country for neighbors with urgent housing challenges. Lowe's and Rebuilding Together have been working together since 2007 to help neighbors safely remain in their homes. The repairs completed on Merle and Rose's home are part of Rebuilding Together's Veterans at Home program, which Lowe's helps support. This fall, the program completed repairs for 20 veterans and their families in communities across the country.

Rose said, "They are adding onto our porch and rebuilding it, and they're also doing the back porch. They did the downspout, so it's not a trip hazard and then they're trying to level out this hill that we have. It's awesome. It's amazing."

The local Denver area Lowe's sent more than a dozen associates to Merle and Rose's house on Veterans Day to do landscaping and more. Jonathan Glassburn is the Store Manager who made the veterans build happen alongside Rebuilding Together and was honored to help the former marine Radio Operator. Glassburn said, "For me personally, veterans are at the core of everything that we do within Lowe's, right? Our company's built on veterans, we support veterans every day, and to be able to give back to a veteran for everything they've done and everything, all of their sacrifices, is absolutely amazing. It doesn't matter if it's a small thing or a big thing, just the ability to give back is so important to me. And it's in our company. It's in the bloodlines of our company."

Jodie Liddy is the Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Colorado; one of more than 110 Rebuilding Together affiliates across the country. "We all share the same mission, which is to repair homes, revitalize communities, and rebuild lives," Liddy said. "We're working on the home of Mr. Merle and Ms. Rose and doing some accessibility modifications and needed home repairs because we are all about serving those who have served. Mr. Merle gave several years of his life during Vietnam, he was a Marine. And the fact that he did that, the least we could do is serve him too. He's got a lovely home, he's worked hard to maintain it, and the fact that we can keep him safe in it and leave here with smiles on their faces, it just means the world to us."

It means the world to Merle and Rosemary too. Both were overcome with gratitude.

"It's great," Merle said. "I really love it. I mean, it's going to help us out quite a bit. We're very thankful for Lowe's for this help." His wife added, "We are so appreciative. I mean, I have a hard time going up and down stairs, so rebuilding all that is going to be so amazing. We're so appreciative of everything that everybody's done to take their time to do this."

Each year Lowe's partners with nonprofits such as Rebuilding Together to address safe and affordable housing needs across the country. Lowe's customers can support Rebuilding Together and Habitat for Humanity's work by rounding up their transaction to the nearest whole dollar at checkout in Lowe's stores through Feb. 2.