This Veterans Day, home improvement retailer Lowe’s is inviting Americans to incorporate simple visual gestures at home to let vets and military neighbors know they’re always welcome.
For the first time, Lowe’s is honoring the nation’s military service members and families by encouraging households to create and display a blue wreath on their door this Veterans Day as a simple, yet powerful, a DIY gesture of thanks.
“For veterans and military families, having a sense of community is crucial and this Veterans Day, we wanted to encourage communities everywhere to show extra appreciation and support for those who have served and their families,” said Joe McFarland, a Marine Corps veteran and Lowe’s executive vice president of stories.
According to color psychology, blue is the color of reflection and serenity, McFarland said any wreath will do — whether it’s an old green one stowed in a garage or attic that can transform through a family DIY project with paint, or one made from wire and paper clips painted blue.
Related
“We encourage everyone to get creative in how they’ll patriotic, welcoming color,” he added.
Lowe’s has partnered with a number of DIY creators and military families who can help inspire how to bring patriotic wreaths to life, even personalizing them with customized accents for their loved ones who have served.
Lowe’s supports military families through a 10 percent discount that is available every day and through its partnerships to support affordable housing and workforce development with its military non-profit partners. The USO, AMVETS, Building Homes for Heroes, Purple Heart Homes, and Operation FINALLY HOME, each showed up in their own ways.
AMVETS is displaying blue wreaths at its Posts nationwide, as well as for the first time, place a blue wreath to honor America’s military members and veterans during its annual National Veterans Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 11.
The USO has joined in by building blue wreaths during Coffee Connections, a monthly virtual and in-person military spouse event series at local USO centers. The wreaths will be displayed at each participating center to demonstrate honor and gratitude for the generations of men and women who previously served.
Building Homes for Heroes has gifted 11 Homes in 11 Weeks to veterans and their families in honor of the holiday, adding blue wreaths as a finishing touch to each home. Purple Heart Homes is welcoming veterans with a blue wreath on display at Richard’s Coffee Shop, a coffee shop in Mooresville, N.C. dedicated to honoring veterans, active-duty personnel, and emergency services personnel. Operation FINALLY HOME has also created its own blue wreath and is encouraging others to join and share photos of their blue wreaths.
Related
On Nov. 9, Lowe’s will also partner with the Carolina Panthers to host “Picnic With A Veteran” on the 50-yard line, as part of their Salute to Service. Blue wreaths will be displayed to pay tribute to the veterans in attendance and the military community.
Participants can show off their wreathes all month long using #BuildThanks and tag @loweshomeimprovement on Instagram or @Lowes on Twitter.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.