United we stand

By Emma Peterson.

Five stories of the roofing community supporting veterans through roof donations.

Here at The Coffee Shops™, we love hearing stories of how the roofing industry supports their local communities. That’s why we created our Caught Doing Good initiative which seeks out the stories of roofers doing good deeds. Today, we’re sharing five stories we found of roofing companies giving back, specifically to veterans in need.

1 - Stephen Montalbo in Texas

Stephen Montalbo, a homeowner in San Antonio, Texas, recently got a new roof free of charge. Stephen served his country in the U.S. Army and then spent more time serving his immediate community through the county’s sheriff office. The gift of the new roof was made possible because of a collaboration between Frontline Heroes Outdoors; local company ARP Roofing and Remodeling; GAF; and Southern Shingles. When asked about the amazing gift, Stephen told KSAT 12, “We’re a military community here. I was born and raised here, my father is a Vietnam veteran, my grandfather is a WWII veteran and this gift just means a lot. I’m very humbled by it.”

2 - Raymond Lamont in Florida

Heading east to Florida, Raymond Lamont was also gifted a free roof through a collaboration of local business E2 Roofing, ABC Supply Jacksonville and IKO Industries. Raymond is a retired U.S. Marine and a Vietnam war veteran who was nominated for E2’s annual roof giveaway by his community. He was overcome with emotion at what his community had put together for him, telling News4Jax, “It’s one of the most blessed things I've experienced. It’s amazing. There are many more veterans out there, a lot more worthy than me. I don’t know how I was picked, but God bless them all.”

This gift came at the right time for Raymond, who shared that the repairs needed for his home would have cost him $20,000. When asked about the motivation to make such a large donation, E2 Roofing CEO Elizabeth Weiss said, “Being a veteran myself, so much has been given to me from this country. So if I can find a way to give back to other veterans that have made my life better, that’s what we like to do.”

3 – Derrick Canon in Michigan

Over in Michigan, another community came together through the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Program to keep a Detroit homeowner and veteran safe and sound. 61-year-old Derrick Canon has spent his life giving back to his community, from a decade serving in the Army to 20 more years in the Detroit Police Department, he has always been trying to help others. The last thing he expected was to get something for it. He shared with WXYZ – TV, “It means a lot to me. I didn’t think anybody was going to give back to me, but this means a lot to me.”

For local business Schoenherr Roofing, giving back to Derrick through this gift seemed like the least they could do. Chad Holsey, the project manager for Schoenherr, shared some of the company’s though process, saying, “This helps us to serve our community, which is one of the biggest parts of our mission statement... It's such a pleasure to do it for Derrick. Really, it's the least we can do to give back to him for everything that he's done.”

4 - Aimee Fox in Ohio

The same Owens Corning Roof Deployment Program that helped with Derrick’s project is also what gave Aimee Fox, a U.S. Navy veteran, a new roof. Through a partnership with Purple Heart Homes and Salinas Exteriors, a new roof was installed on Aimee’s home just in time for the 2024 holiday season. Aimee told WTOL that the roof was an incredible gift for the season, “It's truly a Christmas blessing. I appreciate the companies coming together and to recognizing the veterans in the area so much.”  

5 - Ronald Comeaux in Louisiana

In our fifth and final story of roofers Caught Doing Good for today, we head over to Louisiana. There, Ronal Comeaux, a Vietnam War veteran, received a new roof free of charge. Ronald shared a bit of his story with KLFY, “In 1966 I took basic training and A.I.T. at Fort Polk Louisiana. November 4, 1966, I was shipped to Germany. And that’s where I shared my time.”

Today, thanks to a local roofing company, he’s getting a new roof. Anna Olivier, the owner of Jim Olivier’s Roofing shared that they got to know Ronald and his story through the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Program. Once they heard the story, they knew what they needed to do. She explained, “We love to give back to our community, especially to the men and women who have served our country and given us our freedoms.”  

As for Ronald, he could not be more grateful to not have to worry during the Louisiana storm season. He shared, “I appreciate everything Anna and her people are doing. It really means a lot to me because I really couldn’t afford a new roof without them helping me. And I’ll be able to sleep at night, won’t have to worry about it raining in my house.”

Image sources in order of appearance: KLFY (cover), New4Jax, WXYZ – TV and KLFY