Roofing contractors continue to go out of their way to help their local communities in these trying times, and in the past few weeks there have been some pretty heartwarming stories.

For example, take Ridge Runners Remodeling out of Idaho. The company has a habit of helping out when there’s a need, such as donating 10% of its earnings to its communities or donating labor and materials to projects. In this case, the roofing company jumped at the opportunity to help a homeowner in need.

NBC-affiliate KTBV reported on the efforts of the Meridian, Idaho community to help a 92-year-old man fix up his home. The homeowner, Richard Nourse, was born in 1927, and has lived in the home his grandfather built since he was 4 years old. Amazingly, Nourse was able to inspect the roof after an earthquake hit the area in March, and determined the old roof needed to be replaced.

Trevor Knesal, who visits with Nourse and considers him a friend, learned about his plight and posted a Go Fund Me page to help fund the roof replacement. Donations rolled in from all over, which is where Ridge Runners Remodeling comes in.

“They agreed to do it for half price or even less,” Knesal said. “(Owner Eric Libby) jumped in and agreed to just do it, he didn’t hesitate at all.”

Many of the roofing materials were donated to the crew to make it happen, which Libby called “amazing.”

“We need more people like him,” said Libby of Knesal.

In Pittsburgh, Resnick Roofing & Contracting honored World Humanitarian Day, held Aug. 19, by volunteering to clean a four-mile stretch off of Route 8 in Hampton Township. Employees started around 9 a.m. and began picking up litter to commemorate the volunteers worldwide who gave their lives for a humanitarian cause.

Resnick Roofing, which made this year’s Inc. 5000 list, ended up collecting more than 20 bags of trash in just two hours. The project was held in conjunction with the Adopt-a-Highway program.

“I’m blown away by the volunteer efforts of our employees. They truly enveloped our unofficial motto of ‘work hard, play hard,’” said Resnick Roofing CEO Adam Resnick. “It was a great experience and a true team-building atmosphere, and we are pleased to be a part of this custom.”

Supporting Veterans

Roofing contractors continue to support members of the military as well despite difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Lake Saint Louis, Mo., Signature Exteriors provided U.S. Air Force veteran Tammy Novak a new roof on Aug. 19 as part of the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project. The project, a nationwide effort to show gratitude to veterans who served, teamed up with Purple Heart Homes to select Novak as the recipient of the roof replacement.

Signature Exteriors co-owner Jeramie Beechler said the company has always encouraged a culture of giving back, so it was happy to take part in its first-ever Roof Deployment Project.

"Our company culture has always been do what we can to help out while we're there, and if the opportunity presents itself, go above and beyond," Beechler said. "It's nice to be able to team up with Owens Corning and provide this type of service, especially to our service people who fought for our country and may not be in a position to take on a large home improvement project that their home desperately needs."

Meanwhile, Boak & Sons Inc. in Youngstown, Ohio, is starting up a program called “Got You Covered” that will donate a new roof to a local veteran in need. Boak & Sons partnered with the Mahoning Valley Veteran’s Service Commission in Youngstown to find a recipient of the program. The first recipient is Johnny Rivers, a 75-year-old Vietnam veteran who enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1963 and now lives in Youngstown.

“This year has been hard for our entire community,” said Sam Boak, president and founder of Boak & Sons, Inc. “Boak & Sons has always been about giving back, but it just seems to mean much more this year. Got You Covered was a dream we had a few months ago, but it wasn’t hard to just reach out and make the right connections to turn it into a reality. I hope other businesses like us take the time to open their eyes, take a look around and start addressing the help that is so direly needed right in our own back yard.”