Going above and beyond a roof

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how these two homeowners’ communities went the extra mile for them and their homes. 

Randolphe Lewis in Caroline County, Virginia 

The last thing Randolphe was expecting was his neighbors contacting American Home Contractors on his behalf to make sure he was safe and dry through the upcoming rainy weather. Randolphe, who is 65, is a disabled veteran who served in the U.S. Navy for 23 years. He told The Free Lance Star, “I’ve never had to ask for anything in my life, I’m always the one helping people. To get people to do this for me, it was hard to believe it was happening.” 

His roof has needed work for a while, he even had another company signed up to do the roof work, but they ended up dropping out. Randolphe hadn’t known what to do and felt blessed that his community took care of that decision for him. This was all made possible through a partnership with the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Program and Purple Heart Homes. They provided materials and coordination while American Home Contractors brought the crews. 

The morning that those crews showed up to start work, Randolphe was even further shocked. Led by Tyler Griffin, who is the president of American Home Contractors, the team of about 15 were not going to just replace Randolphe’s roof, they also replaced the gutters, guards and rebuilt the porch roof! They worked all day, well past sunset, in order to beat the rain coming the next day. Randolphe simply called it a divine intervention.  

Felicia Campbell in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey 

Going into a meeting expecting an estimate on a roof replacement on her childhood home, Felicia was shocked when she left with a donated, cost-free reroof from her community. What she hadn’t known going into the meeting was that she had been selected for East Coast Roofing & Siding’s annual roof giveaway. 

This giveaway has been a tradition since 2007 with the current owner, Shawn Stiteler’s father. The company has been dedicated to supporting their community in this way even as the roofing business faces economic pressures in reflection of people’s struggles and hesitance to undertake large-scale projects.  

This year was even more significant to Shawn than normal because it was the first without his father, Larry Stiteler. He told The Press of Atlantic City, “It’s definitely hard for me, I miss him a lot, and I wish he was here. I know he’d be happy, knowing that we’re still continuing that legacy of giving back. My dad was always big about being a corporate citizen.” 

And thanks to their generosity, Felicia left that meeting with even more than a roof – Clean Lines Painting also plans to repaint her home’s interior. Felicia didn’t know how to thank Shawn, his crew, Clean Lines Painting and her community. She explained, “The roof is really deteriorating, and I was at my last wits. I didn’t know what to do." Thankfully, she didn’t have to worry anymore, her community ensured she would be safe and warm under a new roof for the winter. 

Image source: The Press of Atlantic City