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.

A&M Premier Roofing & Construction donated a roof to veteran Victor Vaccaro as part of its Free Roofing Program. Photo: A&M Premier Roofing & Construction/Facebook.

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.

Bone Dry Roofing named Laura Sanderson the first responder roof giveaway winner during the Nashville Sounds’ First Responder Weekend on Sept. 9. Photo: Bone Dry Roofing.

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.

Charles Antis (far right), founder and CEO of Antis Roofing & Waterproofing, with Wing Lam (far left), co-founder of Wahoo’s Fish Taco and the California Love Drop, with two Red Cross blood donors at an Antis-sponsored blood collection drive. Photo courtesy of Antis Roofing.

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.”