Protecting those who protect our country

By Emma Peterson.

Check out these stories of how contractors are giving back to those who have given the most for our country.

In the roofing community, we often talk about giving home and building owners peace of mind with their roofs. As James Klein, a project coordinator on a reroofing job for veteran Henry Kroposki (which we’ll dive into further in this article) explained, “We talk in roofing about peace of mind when we deliver a roof. And the contributions of men and women who have served, they have actually provided all of us with peace of mind through their service, so to restore peace of mind for them is great.” Keep reading to hear about the project James was working on and more instances of roofers giving back!

Antonio Lewis and Firehouse Roofing

In 1977, Mark Latham founded Firehouse Roofing in Rockwall, Texas after a career as a firefighter. He has consistently found ways to give back and pay it forward with his business, such as with Firehouse’s initiative, Our Roofs Save Lives, which sends a portion of the company’s sales to first responders. Recently, he and his team took it another step and partnered with the Owens Corning Roof Development Deployment Project to give veteran Antonio Lewis a new roof for free!

Antonio, who was awarded a Purple Heart after getting hit with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Iraq in August of 2004, lives in a home with his family in Grand Prairie, Texas. When he got the home, he knew a new roof was going to be needed soon, but with a new son to raise and countless other things, the time never felt right. Finally, ten years later, a friend recommended he apply for help through Purple Heart Homes, which helps connect veterans to housing solutions.

“Mark from Firehouse Roofing gave me a call and was like, hey, your name's been pulled for a free roofing. And it was just unbelievable,” Lewis shared with CBS Texas, saying, “I wasn't expecting it and I'm just forever grateful because I know what goes into it. I know the cost and to have these guys just to do it out of the grace of their hearts, it's unmatched.”

It took Mark’s team one day to complete the work and get Antonio the roof he needed to protect his family. Mark shared, “The roof is the family's most important asset. Maybe their largest asset. It's the covering for their for their home and their family. So it's in our gratitude that we're able to do this for Antonio.” 

The Woodwards and Brian Exteriors

Over in Nebraska, Brian Exteriors is also giving back to the veterans in their community. The family owned business is no stranger to helping military veterans, with things like military discounts a standard in their operations. But recently, they took it a step forward with a free reroof for Mary and Ron Woodward. The couple are both veterans, with Mary having served in the National Guard and Ron in the U.S. Army.  

The reroof was a much needed gift for the couple, who’s roof was damaged over two years ago in a storm. Ron shared with WHO13, “It's a blessing. The last time this roof was done, I did it mostly myself... But now I've had both knees replaced and I can't get up there anymore because it’s too painful.” Now the couple can rest easy and comfortability with a new, free roof over their heads.

Ed Lohr and 5 Star Roofing and Restoration

East of the Woodwards, another veteran got a new roof for free as a thank you for their service. Ed Lohr, a Randolph County, North Carolina resident, served from 1969 to 1970. He was a recent recipient of 5 Star Roofing and Restoration’s Roofs of Honor program. This program and project are the epitome of 5 Star Roofing’s mission, which is “to treat our community like family, delivering services with unmatched integrity and professionalism.”

By partnering with GAF, 5 Star Roofing was able to give him a new roof. When asked about the project, Ed told FOX 8, “It’s such a blessing... [A new roof is] a big expense, I don’t know too many people that wouldn’t have to take out a loan or something to [get a new roof] ... Maybe I can help somebody else down the line, you know? And I don’t think you can out-give people.”

Henry Kroposki and Home Pro Exteriors

Over in Pike County, New York, a partnership between Owens Corning Roof Deployment Program and the local contractor Home Pro Exteriors helped U.S. Air Force Veteran Henry Kroposki. Henry has lived in the Milford Township for over 40 years with his wife Sandy. Back when Superstorm Sandy hit the area, a tree fell on the Kroposkis’ roof, leaving a hole behind.  

Henry’s friend and a member of veteran's non-profit Rolling Thunder, Ronald Dibble came out and was able to create a temporary patch for the issue, but it was far from a permanent solution. He explained to WNP, “That was quite a while ago now, you know, so that's what we did. We went up there and fixed it temporarily until we found this way out of it.” And the way out of it was Ronald and the Rolling Thunder group getting Henry and Sandy in contact with Home Pro Exteriors.

The contractor was more than happy to help and their crew jumped onto the project. They spent a day putting a new roof on the house, much to the inhabitants peace of mind. Sandy shared, “I'm overwhelmed with gratitude; my heart is just busting. I could have never afforded this, I had to quit my job to take care of Henry so there was no way we could have afforded this on our own.”

Photo sources in order of appearance: CBS Texas, WHO13 and MSN