Ahead of this year's hurricane season, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $4.2 million to seven national nonprofit partners to support disaster preparedness and response, including food security and clean water concerns, and long-term recovery efforts in areas impacted by natural disasters.

"Every year, The Home Depot Foundation invests in disaster preparedness and response efforts, specifically stocking strike zones and distribution centers with relief kits and ensuring our best-in-class nonprofit partners have the resources they need to serve impacted communities," said Shannon Gerber, executive director, The Home Depot Foundation. "We also understand immediate relief is just the beginning for so many families, and that is why we're granting more than $1.6 million to support long-term recovery for communities rebuilding after a natural disaster."

With this funding, The Home Depot Foundation will:

Invest more than $900,000 into Habitat for Humanity International's long-term recovery program, which supports repairs and storm resilient rebuilding for impacted homeowners
Fund additional long-term recovery efforts in storm-impacted communities through grants to Team Rubicon and Convoy of Hope
Support preparedness and immediate relief efforts by granting more than $2.6 million to the American Red Cross, ToolBank Disaster Services and others
Assemble more than 4,000 disaster relief kits and more than 2,000 emergency meal kits with Operation Blessing to deliver to people in need in the wake of a natural disaster
Help address food security and clean water concerns by supporting World Central Kitchen to distribute thousands of meals in impacted areas
"The Home Depot Foundation and Habitat for Humanity have a mutual interest in the long-term well-being of communities and the families who live in them. We are grateful for their continued support in our efforts to rebuild homes and strengthen families and communities," said Julie Laird Davis, vice president of corporate partnerships and cause marketing at Habitat for Humanity International.

In addition to the $4.2 million granted to nonprofit partners, tomorrow, Team Depot, The Home Depot's associate volunteer force, will assemble nearly 7,000 disaster relief kits near Atlanta. The kits will include cleaning supplies, PPE, trash bags and more, and will be stored in Home Depot distribution centers in Baytown, Texas; McDonough, Georgia; and Savannah, Georgia. Within the first 48 hours of a disaster, these kits can be deployed to more than 570 stores, across 17 states, to help serve communities in need.