KC
BOYCOTT HOME DEPOT
Mon Jul 28 17:48:57 2003
209.210.87.173

"You are a Christian ministry, and we will not donate any funds to any church or Christian ministry." - Home Depot store manager

According to Home Depot policy, Christian-based organizations "need not apply" when it comes to requesting donations which benefit the community. That's because Home Depot rejects grant applications if the organization espouses Christianity.

When Special Youth Challenge Ministries (SYC) in Dallas, Georgia, asked its local Home Depot manager for a small contribution to benefit a banquet fundraiser, the manager turned him down. "You are a Christian ministry, and we will not donate any funds to any church or Christian ministry," the manager said.

SYC national Director Charles Walthour was caught by surprise. "Home Depot has donated to us before, so I was shocked to learn that non-profit groups that are Christian-based are no longer recognized as legitimate organizations," he said.

SYC is a national volunteer ministry that grants requests from terminally ill and handicapped youth in the field of shooting and hunting.

The manager told Walthour if he would remove the word "Ministries" from SYC letterhead, it would reconsider the donation request. Walthour was unwilling to do that, saying, "We will not compromise our faith in order to get something from Home Depot, or anyone else." He said other companies were more than happy to give to SYC, including Home Depot's corporate competitor, Lowe's Home Improvement Center.

Don Wildmon, chairman of American Family Association, says Home Depot's policy is extremely callous toward Christians and churches. "Christians and churches account for the bulk of people-helping ministries in any given town. For some reason, Home Depot has chosen to disregard their importance," he said.

Wildmon says if Home Depot really wants to be a good community-minded citizen, store managers should be given "flexible" funds to support any local organization that helps children in their area.