Wilmington’s Good Shepherd Center is the beneficiary of two donations within the past month.
 
On Nov. 10, a team of The Home Depot employee volunteers worked with the center to create an attractive outdoor space for residents of Good Shepherd’s Sgt. Eugene Ashley Memorial Center, according to a news release.
 
As part of the home improvement chain’s annual nationwide Celebration of Service effort, Wilmington’s “Team Depot” took on the project, which included patio beautification, paving, building and landscaping of a new garden area and creation of a seating area and grill space in the garden.
 
The Sgt. Eugene Ashley Memorial Center, according to the release, is a “highly structured, 18-month residential program for homeless veterans that combines affordable housing with on-site supportive services, including case management, counseling and transportation.”
 
The second donation was $10,000 worth of shoes from Wilmington-based Comfortable Soles, a regional shoe store chain. In a release, company spokeswoman April McKeithan said that the opportunity came through Naot – one of the brands Comfortable Soles carries. 
 
“When Naot gave us the opportunity to donate these shoes, several charities came to mind,” McKeithan said in a subsequent email. “However, the Good Shepherd was at the top of our list. This charity has a wonderful reputation in Wilmington and the surrounding communities. Not only do they feed, house and clothe, they most importantly help people get back on their own feet.”
 
“Our goal was to give those less fortunate confidence with shoes; confidence to ace a job interview, a desire to work harder, and the ability to become self-sufficient,” McKeithan said in the email, adding, “As Marilyn Monroe once said, ‘Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.’”
 
Comfortable Soles, with stores in Wilmington, Chapel Hill and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, carries Dansko, Birkenstock and Naot shoes, among other brands, the release stated.