National project returns to Centre County to give veteran free roof. ‘Absolute blessing’

Thomas Sharpe, a 71-year-old U.S. Army veteran who in the mid-1970s served three years near the demilitarized zone in South Korea, received a free roof and gutter replacement Monday courtesy of a nationwide project that previously made a stop in Centre County.

In partnership with Purple Heart Homes, the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project started in 2016 and has benefitted more than 750 veterans, according to a press release. The project recruits the help of local contractors to complete the installations, and Owens Corning covers the installation materials.

It marked the project’s second time in Centre County, after awarding a Vietnam War veteran in Clarence a new roof in May. Both jobs were completed by Starway Roof Systems of Walker Township.

Sharpe said Starway employees arrived at his Spring Township home around 7 a.m. Monday. While the replacement came with the loud banging of hammers, nail guns and other tools, he said the noise was well worth it.

“This program really is something,” Sharpe said. “I feel honored, and I’m glad that there are people out there doing things like this, because we [veterans] really appreciate it”

His wife, 75-year-old Cheryl Sharpe, called it “an absolute blessing.”

“Our roof is a bit older, and it’s been leaking a bit, so we’ve been looking at getting our roof replaced for a little while now actually,” she said. “We reached out to a few different roofers, but Starway just went the extra mile — especially after they told us about this program.”

For a veteran to be eligible for a new roof, they first must meet certain qualifications. Because the program is partnered with Habitat for Humanity, the income requirement for a typical Habitat for Humanity repair/rebuild must be met. So recipients must earn less than around 80% of the area’s median income.

In addition to the financial stipulations, background checks and honorable discharge documentation is part of the application process.

“It means the world to be able to carry out these replacements for these veterans,” Starway Content Manager Zane Shober told the CDT. “This roof replacement would’ve been valued at about $15,000, so to get the chance to provide this service to someone so deserving for free is a real treat.”

To sign up for the program, or to sign a veteran up for the program, Owens Corning recommends contacting your local Habitat for Humanity or Veterans Affairs’ organization.

If you’re unable to contact either organization, Owens Corning can be contacted directly by emailing roofdeployment@owenscorning.com.