4 roofing companies step up to help veterans and families in need

By Jenny Yu.  

Enjoy these heartwarming stories of roofing companies giving back! 

We are always happy to see stories of roofing companies taking opportunities to give back to the communities they serve, and we wanted to share them with you! Below are four stories from across the country that especially warmed our hearts.  

1 – Old Hickory, Tennessee 

John Sherrell’s roof survived several serious storms before the shingles started to break, and leaks poured into the home. John, an Army veteran who served for two years in Germany during the Vietnam War, and his wife Linda called Tim Leeper Roofing to see what could be done for their home of 20 years. 

Tim Leeper Roofing, a company that serves the Middle Tennessee area, realized the damage was too extensive for a simple repair. The entire roof needed to be replaced and so began the process to make John one of this year’s recipients of Owens Corning’s Roof Deployment Project, a nationwide effort to show gratitude and honor veterans who have served our country. The two roofing companies teamed up with Purple Heart Homes to give John and Linda a brand-new roof for free.  

When asked what this experience meant to him, John told News Channel 5 Nashville, “I’m very proud to serve in the military. I would do it again if I was able to. I can’t even describe how I feel. I really appreciate what Tim Leeper Roofing has done for me. Deep in my heart, I really appreciate what they’ve done.”  

2 – Boardman, Ohio 

Liberty Roofing Pros, a roofing company that serves Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and Northwest West Virginia, hosts an annual contest to award a veteran with a free roof. This year, the lucky winner was Tim Esterly, a retired Air Force veteran whose daughter entered him into the contest. 

Tim shared with WKBN27, “I went to Fitch, I graduated 1984, went into the Air Force for 10 years, active duty. We’ve been here since 1999. They came to our door on Veteran’s Day with balloons. Veteran’s Day is also my birthday.” 

Abner Miller, owner of Liberty Roofing Pros, said, “A couple of years ago, we decided we wanted to start doing an annual roof giveaway for Veteran’s Day. This is the second one we’re doing. We appreciate his service, and it was also his birthday. So, it was pretty awesome coming here and being able to tell him he’s getting a free roof along with happy birthday.” 

3 - South Wheeling, West Virginia 

Madeline Gosney, a homeowner in South Wheeling, had experienced a lot of hardship in her life. When her roof needed replacement, she prayed for a miracle and Saints Roofing and Construction provided just that.  

Madeline told WTRF7, “I thank Saints Roofing for this. I’d seen they had done it, and I entered and I just couldn’t believe I won. I said a little prayer to my kids, Dale and Amanda, who had passed away from fentanyl, to help me with this. And they did.” 

Materials for the roof come from donations and Saints Roofing covers the cost of labor.  

Barry Hicks, co-owner of Saints Roofing, shared, “It’s just a blessing. God has given us this platform. And to be able to partner with other people in the area and the community [is a blessing].” 

Ruth Hicks, the other co-owner and business manager, added, “This year we had over 400 applicants apply. We just go through them, and pray over them and pick one out of that stack.” 

4 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Another company that teamed up with Owens Corning’s Roof Deployment Project is Buccos Roofing, a residential roofing company that offers roofing, siding and gutter services for Pittsburgh-area residents. 

The recipient of this free roofing system was local Korean War Army veteran Phillip Salzman. 

Mike Bucci, general manager of Buccos Roofing, told WTAE-TV, “It’s nice to give back to the community. For Buccos, we’re a group of 35, 40 guys born and raised in the Pittsburgh area, so to be able to give back to the community that’s helped build us is important to us.” 

Since 2016, the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project has provided new roofs to more than 500 veterans across the United States. 

Photo credits in order of appearance: WTAE-TV, The Chronicle of Mt. Juliet, WKBN27, WTRF7.