A Place of Serenity – Home Depot and Habitat make a veteran smile!

By Melissa Simon

The smile on George Apodac’s face said it all.

The 86-year-old Simi Valley man, an Army veteran, walked around his front yard last Thursday as a team of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County and Home Depot worked to transform an empty, dirt lot into a rich, drought-tolerant landscape.

“The whole project has been seamless, and I can’t say enough about the work done,” Apodac said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it’s exactly what I needed. I can’t thank them enough.

“Next to marrying my second wife (61-year-old Maria Elena), this is the greatest thing that’s ever happened.”