More than a dozen veterans from GAF’s Burgaw, N.C., facility arrived on May 2 at a build site to help Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity staff construct trusses to support the roof of a new home for Laitful, a local mother of two in North Carolina.

Latiful, a dental assistant, earned an Associate of Applied Sciences degree and hopes to go back to school for a dental hygiene license in the future. She learned about the homeownership program through her sister, who purchased a home with Habitat 10 years ago. She told Habitat she is most excited about having a backyard for her children to play, as well as the feeling of permanence in a place to call her own.

GAF employees, hailing from diverse backgrounds and experiences, including service in the Army, Air Force, and Marines, and have dedicated anywhere from five months to 22 years to GAF, came together to support the project. These volunteers are part of Veteran Involvement Brings Excellence (VIBE), an employee resource group at GAF that is driven by veteran employees from across the country dedicated to making an impact on local communities and within GAF.

“Organizing the volunteer opportunity provided a great opportunity to harness the unique skills and camaraderie of our veteran employees,” said David Inman, Senior HR Partner at GAF and retired Marine. “It's inspiring to see how their dedication to service continues to positively impact our community, and I’m proud to be a part of it."

Steve Boehling, general manager at GAF’s Burgaw facility, also assisted in the build. 

“As a team, we love to volunteer with Habitat and support the community in which we live and work,” he said. “As a company, we value the opportunity to give back, but I was personally moved to volunteer alongside veteran employees in honor of my father who volunteered and served in the United States Marine Corps in WWII. His dedication to our country inspires me to contribute to causes that make a tangible difference in people's lives.”

Construction on the build is expected to be complete in November, and Laitful should be closing on her new home by the end of the year.

GAF’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity is part of GAF’s social impact initiative, GAF Community Matters, which is focused on making a positive difference as neighbors and partners in the community by leveraging roofing expertise, resources and products to help build resilient communities.