Around this time of the year, it has become a tradition at Roofing Contractor to shine a spotlight on roofing companies doing good work beyond crafting high-quality roofs — and for good reason.

One
of our most basic needs after food and water is shelter. Roofing
contractors do a service by ensuring those shelters are maintained, but
they also understand that circumstances sometimes prevent one from
fulfilling this most basic of needs.

That’s when roofing
professionals step in to help save the day. Whether gifting a roof to a
family in need, thanking a veteran for service to our country with a new
roof, gratis, or donating resources to a worthy cause, roofing pros
unfailingly do what they can to make life easier for community members
in need.

Below are just some of the ways roofing contractors and partner companies gave back in 2023.

Giving Thanks to Veterans

Roofing contractors don’t hesitate to recognize the sacrifices and heroism of military veterans.  

Since
2016, the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project has teamed up with
roofing contractors and nonprofit organizations like Purple Heart Homes
and Habitat for Humanity to provide free roofs to veterans. As of 2023,
the program has donated more than 475 roofs to military members and
their families.

Among those taking part in the program this year was Freedom Roofing, Windows and Siding in Woodville, Ohio. In a story from the Fremont News Messenger,
company owners Gina and Brady Donnell said they have supported their
community through several programs for more than a decade.

“We’ve
been giving back to the community, in the form of scholarships to
graduating seniors and other programs, since 2011; we are upwards of
$75,000 in the scholarships,” Gina told the Fremont News Messenger.
“I said, ‘You know what? We are a veteran-owned small business, and we
should give back to veterans in a big way; [this is our] very first roof
giveaway, and I hope in the coming years we can do more than one.”

Others donating through the OC program in 2023 include:

• Buckeye Roofing & Exteriors: Donating a roof to Air Force veteran Elvan Miller, Jr., of Defiance, Ohio, a cancer survivor.
• Mighty Dog Roofing:
  Nick Whitehead, owner of Mighty Dog Roofing based out of Missoula,
  Mont., is a service member with the U.S. National Guard. Mighty Dog
  provided a new roof for Marine Corps veteran Edward Anthony of Ronan,
  Mont. Whitehead was set to deploy to Iraq on Aug. 1.
• JG Contracting and Storm Restorations of America: The Missouri-based firm gifted Tim Tevis, an Air Force veteran, a new roof.

• Otsego County, Mich.-based Story Roofing Company, Inc.: Ensured U.S. Army veteran Darrell Hurd’s home could withstand Michigan’s unpredictable weather with a new roof.

Apart from the Roof Deployment Project, roofing contractors coordinated independent efforts to thank veterans. Beery Roofing & Redesign,
based in Volusia County, Fla., continued its annual tradition of
offering to install a new roof for a current or former member of the
U.S. military. 

Roofing distributors were just as supportive of
veterans in 2023. ABC Supply Co. announced a $3 million donation to
Homes For Our Troops, which builds custom homes for severely injured
post-9/11 veterans. Beacon Building Products held its fifth annual
Beacon of Hope contest, providing new roofs to 10 recipients. In May,
SRS Distribution announced its Raise the Roof Foundation would back a
multi-year financial commitment of $1 million for the National Medal of
Honor Museum to be built in Arlington, Texas.

Donations to the Deserving

Bone Dry Roofing
partnered with Owens Corning and the Nashville Sounds to donate a roof —
labor and materials included — to a Nashville, Tenn., first-responder.
The announcement was made and presented to Laura Sanderson, a Davidson
County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Office booking supervisor, at the Sept. 9
Nashville Sounds game.

“We are thrilled to give back to our
community by providing our roofing services to a first responder who
gives so much of their own selfless time and skills to the Nashville
area,” said Bone Dry Roofing’s Nashville Branch Manager, Wes Hayes. “For
more than 30 years, giving back to our local communities has been at
the cornerstone of what we do at Bone Dry, and we’re proud to be able to
provide safety, security and peace of mind to someone so deserving.”

BluSky Restoration Contractors
saw a need to help vulnerable youth and decided to take action. By
partnering with the Housing Industry Foundation, BluSky completed a
revitalization project for the Covenant House California Santa Clara
campus. The nonprofit youth shelter provides sanctuary and support for
young people, ages 18-24, experiencing homelessness.

“BluSky was
honored to be a part of this project — we are a continuous supporter of
the Housing Industry Foundation, and we believe it is our duty to serve
the community in which we conduct our business,” said Ryan Rusler, vice
president, BluSky San Jose.

Last June, National Women in Roofing partnered with its Oregon Council, Bliss Roofing
in Clackamas, Ore., and Home Building Foundation to reroof the Project
Homeless Connect Washington County building, which aids those
experiencing homelessness.

“Instead of complaining about the
homeless population, we like to be part of the solution instead of part
of the problem,” said Stephanie Baird, general manager at Bliss Roofing.
“The goals and missions of National Women in Roofing [are] to help
women or families, so this supports all our pillars.”

Thanks to donated materials from its distributors, Brazen Roofing
of Myrtle Beach, S.C. helped reroof the Sonshine Recovery Ministry last
September, which helps people with addiction in the Murrells Inlet,
S.C. area.

Antis Roofing and Waterproofing in
Irvine, Calif., held its 100th blood drive for the American Red Cross in
July. The effort began in 2020 after Antis Roofing learned the Red
Cross was facing critical blood shortages due to COVID-related
restrictions that shuddered donation centers, so the company opened its
facility to host blood drives.

“I cannot stress enough what a
lifeline it was to have partners like Antis step forward during that
time and open its doors to host blood drives,” said Becky Firey,
executive director for the Red Cross of Orange County.

Manufacturers Making a Difference

Manufacturers
continued to give back in their ways as well. Polyglass sponsored and
participated in the 6th Annual EGGFest in Winter Haven, Fla., in April,
where teams gathered nationwide to raise money and show off their
talents on the Big Green Egg, the popular ceramic kamado BBQ. The event
supports the local Girls Incorporated of Winter Haven and the Boys &
Girls Club of Polk County.

TAMKO Building Products did more than
manufacture the materials to repair storm-damaged homes: In January, the
company donated $250,000 to the Houston Chapter of the American Red
Cross for disaster relief following a devastating tornado.

Last
February, Carlisle Construction Materials hosted a unique event where it
collected and donated more than 18,800 pairs of socks to communities in
need. Socks are reported as the most needed item in shelters, so
Carlisle collected socks at 28 facilities during “Sockuary.”

“We
were excited to see the level of employee engagement around this
initiative and the impact that we were able to make,” said Mike
DuCharme, vice president of marketing and sponsor of Carlisle
Construction Material’s Community Stewardship Team. “Our company has
demonstrated a commitment to the communities in which it operates, and
we are already looking toward our next project.” 

In a follow-up
to the previous year, GAF announced last September it completed its goal
of replacing or repairing 500 roofs on the homes of families around the
Gulf Region. The manufacturer partnered with actor Anthony Mackie, the
Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new “Captain America,” who participated in
reroofing U.S. Air Force veteran Joe Capers’ home.

“Born and
raised in New Orleans, where I still live today, I know first-hand the
devastating impact storm damage can have on families,” Mackie said. “The
work that GAF has done here in the Gulf Region and across the country
is helping make our community more resilient to severe weather in the
future.”