The sound of hammering resonated throughout the Brandon neighborhood where U.S. Marine Corps veteran James Marshall Jr. and his wife reside. Through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County Florida, Inc., the Marshalls were selected and approved as the recipients for a new roof replacement; the Marshalls received a shingle roof.
James shared his thoughts in regards to his new roof: “We had some issues with our roof and much weighed heavy on my mind with trying to save money, along with it being a struggle for quite a while with the pandemic.”
He added, “I am also thankful for the people like this who are looking out for me because I have fallen on hard times.”
Individuals wearing bright orange shirts from Southeastern Roofing and Construction, LLC could be seen on the roof with tools in hand installing a new roof as part of the Owens Corning National Roof Deployment Project. Southeastern Roofing and Construction is also an Owens Corning Platinum Roofing Contractor. More than 275 military members have received new roofs since the inception of this program in 2016. Southeastern Roofing and Construction donated the labor, and the Owens Corning Foundation donated the roofing materials.
Ed Kappaz, president of Southeastern Roofing and Construction, mentioned how he felt about his business getting involved with this project, saying, “Owens Corning gives us the opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough Florida Inc. through this giving back program, which makes me feel good to be able to assist veterans in need.”
Habitat for Humanity’s Veterans Initiative became established in 2019. Veterans must meet specific qualifications in order to be accepted into the program that they apply for.
Nitza Rivera, Veterans Build and neighborhood revitalization program manager at Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough Florida, Inc., shared what her hope would be for this initiative.
“We hope to help more veterans improve their lives,” Rivera said.
For more information, visit https://www.habitathillsborough.org. For more information about Owens Corning, visit https://www.owenscorning.com/en-us. For more information about Southeastern Roofing and Construction, visit https://www.seroof.com.
