A call to service

"After America was attacked, it was as if our entire country looked into a mirror and saw our better selves. We were reminded that we are citizens with obligations to each other, our country and history. We began to think less of the goods we can accumulate and more about the good we can do," said President George W. Bush in his State of the Union Address on Jan. 29, four months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Bush also thanked Americans for their charitable acts during the devastating crisis and urged everyone to continue their efforts to help those in need. He continued: "My call tonight is for every American to commit at least two years—4,000 hours over the rest of your lifetime—to the service of your neighbors and nation. Many are already serving, and I thank you."

For many NRCA members and affiliate organizations, the spirit of giving back to their communities already existed. They have donated time, money and labor to help people in need. Fulfilling Bush's call to service will continue to be an important part of their organizations' success. Following are some examples of ways industry leaders are making a difference in their communities.

One town at a time

Each year at NRCA's annual convention and exhibit, outstanding roofing contracting companies are recognized with Gold Circle Awards for contributing to the roofing industry. During NRCA's 115th Annual Convention and Exhibit in San Antonio, NRCA members Kirberg Roofing Inc., St. Louis, and Denchfield Roofing Corp., Silver Spring, Md., won 2002 Gold Circle Awards for service to the community.

Photos courtesy of Kirberg Roofing Inc., St. Louis

2002 Gold Circle Award winner Kirberg Roofing Inc. donated $100,000 worth of materials and labor for the installation of the South City YMCA's roof system in St. Louis.

Kirberg Roofing won a Gold Circle Award for its work on the South City YMCA, St. Louis. Doug Kirberg, president of the company and YMCA board member, spent his childhood swimming, bowling and participating in other activities at St. Louis' Carondelet YMCA. Fond memories and a desire to advance St. Louis prompted Kirberg and fellow YMCA board of directors members to begin the Vision 2000 Capital Development Program in fall 1995. One of its projects included building the South City YMCA, which replaced the Carondelet YMCA and South Side YMCA, facilities that would have required extensive maintenance and expansion to fulfill the community's needs.

One year after it began, the program raised $25 million through private donations—enough money to build the South City YMCA and five more St. Louis-area YMCAs, as well as renovate 17 St. Louis-area YMCAs. In addition, Kirberg Roofing donated $100,000 worth of materials and labor for the South City YMCA's roof system. The donation helped the facility be built under budget.

Similar to Kirberg's charitable reputation in St. Louis, Randy Denchfield, president and chief executive officer of Denchfield Roofing, is well-known in the Washington, D.C., area for his charitable deeds. Denchfield Roofing won a Gold Circle Award for its work with Rebuilding Together™ with Christmas in April,® a national nonprofit organization NRCA sponsors that rehabilitates homes for low-income families and elderly or disabled people, and Ellicott City, Md.-based Our House, a residential program that teaches young men from foster care and the juvenile justice system construction, academic and life skills, as well as involves them in weekly community service projects.

Photo courtesy of Denchfield Roofing Corp., Silver Spring, Md.

Randy Denchfield's church annually sponsors a house from Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April's reject bin. Pictured is a house that was repaired in one day.

For nearly 20 years, Denchfield has been involved with Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April. His service includes serving as president, board member and house captain. Denchfield estimates he has coordinated roof system repairs for more than 350 Washington-area houses and is honored to do so.

Denchfield's experience as a house captain has been particularly useful. Each year, his church sponsors a house from Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April's reject bin—only a highly skilled team could complete the extensive work required for such projects.

On the last Saturday in April 2001, a day designated as Rebuilding Day by Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April, Denchfield and about 100 volunteers from his church were challenged to reroof the home of a 90-year-old woman. The house's roof system nearly was gone, and ceilings had collapsed as a result.

Photo courtesy of Denchfield Roofing Corp., Silver Spring, Md.

Randy Denchfield and his church are committed to helping their community.

Denchfield Roofing provided disposal services, tools, lumber, gutters and sheet metal and secured the donation of shingles. Denchfield led the team that installed the roof system, fascia, rake boards and gutters. Denchfield also helped volunteers fix electrical and plumbing problems; replace deteriorated plaster in walls and ceilings; repair broken floorboards, stairs and handrails; and paint the house's interior and exterior. Remarkably, Denchfield and the volunteers completed the challenging project in one day.

In addition, Denchfield loaned his expertise to restore roof systems for Our House during 2001. The organization was able to purchase a large building complex in suburban Maryland that had been abandoned for several years, and three buildings' roof systems needed to be repaired or replaced. Denchfield and his crew volunteered to restore the roof systems, which left the organization with money to complete other essential renovations.

Another NRCA-contractor member who recently told NRCA about the charitable acts his company performs was John Dowers, president of Galesburg, Ill.-based Dowers Roofing Systems. The company has taken part in Christmas in Action, Galesburg chapter, for 12 years. Dowers also is a board member for the national, nonprofit organization, which was fashioned after Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April.

In April, Dowers enlisted the help of his brother, Tim, vice president of Dowers Roofing Systems, and nephew, David, a journeyman for Dowers Roofing Systems, to participate on a small Galesburg roofing project on behalf of Christmas in Action. The volunteers reflashed a chimney and repaired roof leaks. The project did not take long for experienced roofing workers, but Dowers believes the help they provided was as important as more extensive projects in which he has participated in the past.

"This is our hometown—the place where we have made a good living and happy lives," Dowers says. "It is important we give back to the community that has helped us."

Making a difference

NRCA's affiliate organizations also are making a difference by combining the efforts and skills of their members.

On the East Coast, The Eagle Group Inc., West Hartford, Conn., has been participating with Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April through the Connecticut Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA) for two years. This year, four volunteers from the company repaired two houses' roof systems and replaced two other houses' roof systems in Hartford, Conn. Art Dias, president of The Eagle Group, says participating with Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April is important to his company and CRCA.

"After NRCA embraced Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April, CRCA, which is a big proponent of NRCA, decided to do all it could at the state and local levels," Dias says.

Other NRCA members that participated in Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April through CRCA include Allied Roofing & Sheet Metal Co. Inc., East Hartford, Conn.; Beacon Sales Co., Somerville, Mass.; The C.G. Bostwick Co., Hartford; Bradco Supply Corp., Avenel, N.J.; Commercial Supply Inc., Springfield, Mass.; F.J. Dahill Co. Inc., New Haven, Conn.; and Olympic Fasteners, Agawam, Mass.

Each year, the San Diego Roofing Contractors' Association (SDRCA) organizes its Build-A-Roof Campaign through which the association provides new roof systems for nonprofit organizations. This year, SDRCA supported Second Chance/STRIVE, an organization that provides pre-employment attitude training, job-locator services and postplacement support to unemployed and homeless people. In May, SDRCA coordinated the reroofing of a Second Chance/STRIVE sober-living house in San Diego's City Heights community.

SDRCA and NRCA members that committed a weekend to completing the project include ABC Supply Co. Inc., Beloit, Wis.; Allied Building Products Corp., East Rutherford, N.J.; Mission Valley Roofing Inc., Santee, Calif.; Pinnacle Roofing Co., Tracy, Calif.; and Ridglass Manufacturing Inc., Fresno, Calif.

According to Lee Richmond, SDRCA's executive director, the association chose to support Second Chance/STRIVE without hesitation.

"This was a project near and dear to my heart," Richmond says. "My husband is a drug and alcohol counselor, so when Second Chance/STRIVE contacted us to help with a sober-living house, I immediately contacted our board of directors. A member of our board offered to coordinate the event, and SDRCA ran with it."

After the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the New Mexico Roofing Contractors Association (NMRCA) considered raising money for the Red Cross. But NMRCA's members did some research and decided New Mexico's local charities needed help instead. As a result, the association held its first NMRCA Make-A-Wish Foundation Spring Golf Tournament May 16.

Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NMRCA adopted leukemia-stricken Kristin, a 3-year-old whose wish was to take her parents and siblings to Georgia to visit her grandparents. One hundred thirty golfers participated in the tournament, and NMRCA members donated items that were auctioned at the event. The tournament and auction resulted in $6,000—enough money to grant the little girl's wish.

Photo courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Mexico, Albuquerque

The New Mexico Roofing Contractors Association (NMRCA) raised $6,000 for Kristin, a child NMRCA sponsored through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Mexico. Pictured from left to right are Kristin; Amy Gillespie, executive director of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Mexico; Kristin's mother; and Kristin's two brothers.

According to Hollie Reynolds, NMRCA's executive director, the association's members feel strongly about changing the roofing industry's reputation through charitable acts.

"There always will be scoundrels rolling into town giving roofing contractors a bad name," Reynolds states. "NMRCA tries to improve roofing contractors' images by building relationships with community members and businesses. And we really want to help less fortunate New Mexicans—that's key for us."

The Colorado Roofing Association (CRA) also did its part to give back to its community and improve the roofing industry's image by participating for a third year with Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April's Metro Denver chapter. CRA raised $45,000 worth of materials and labor from its members for Rebuilding Together Metro Denver, which repaired and replaced 19 roof systems. For its efforts, CRA received Rebuilding Together Metro Denver's highest honor, the Gold Sponsor Award. The award is given to a group that provides the largest monetary donation.

Jade Sund, vice president and owner of Viking Roofing Inc., Broomfield, Colo., led CRA's Community Service Committee. Sund believes Rebuilding Together Metro Denver gives roofing contractors the opportunity to work together for a good cause.

Sund says: "Many roofing contracting companies participate in charitable events, but Rebuilding Together Metro Denver allows CRA members to work together on one large project. It's a nice organization to work with because you get to see the people you're helping."

Caring across the nation

With manufacturing and distribution facilities across the United States, roofing materials manufacturers have an advantage when it comes to spreading their charitable contributions to many communities.

For example, in 2001, Firestone Building Products Co., Carmel, Ind., sponsored its third annual Community Service Program in which Firestone Inner Circle of Quality Award winners and Partners in Quality Award winners participated. Each commercial contracting company notified Firestone about a community service project in its area that needed a charitable contribution. Firestone roofing materials were shipped to the contracting company, and after the project was completed, the contracting company applied for a materials credit from Firestone for the products used.

Firestone's program allowed 11 contracting companies to donate and install a combined 70,000 square feet (6500 m²) of Firestone roofing materials on buildings ranging from the workshop at a mentally and emotionally challenged citizens' home in Holicong, Pa., to the headquarters of Milwaukee's Hunger Task Force.

"Through strong partnerships with talented and dedicated roofing professionals, our community service program provides us with an opportunity to directly affect local communities," says David Grass, president of Firestone Building Products.

NRCA members that participated in the program include Bedford Roofing and Sheet Metal Co., Quakertown, Pa.; Command Roofing Co., Oakwood, Ohio; J.V. Heidler Roofing Co. Inc., Lancaster, Pa.; Rockwell Roofing Inc., Leominster, Mass.; Rosedale Roofing Co. Inc., Baltimore; Specialty Associates Inc., West Allis, Wis.; Weathercraft Co., North Platte, Neb.; and J.M. Young & Sons Inc., Belleville, Pa.

Wayne, N.J.-based GAF Materials Corp. and U.S. Intec have been participating in nationwide charitable events through Habitat for Humanity for many years. In January, the companies combined efforts for their first corporate charity event held during the companies' National Sales Meeting in Chandler, Ariz. The companies helped the East Valley Habitat for Humanity® in Chandler, and GAF Materials donated Royal Sovereign shingles for two houses sponsored by the organization.

Photo courtesy of GAF Materials Corp., Wayne, N.J.

Wayne, N.J.-based GAF Materials Corp. and U.S. Intec volunteers combined efforts for a corporate charity event through East Valley Habitat for Humanity, Chandler, Ariz.

Because the houses were not ready to have roof systems installed in January, GAF Materials and U.S. Intec volunteers removed abandoned furniture and appliances from a house that was donated to Habitat for Humanity and scheduled to be demolished. They also removed rocks, debris and glass and pulled shrubs and fence posts.

"I always wanted to volunteer my time to Habitat for Humanity. When the company set this up, I didn't hesitate to sign up," says Chris Mooney, GAF Materials' manager for national training. "It's great to spend the afternoon with my friends and co-workers for a good cause."

Donating materials to worthy causes is another way manufacturers are helping less-fortunate people. Loretto, Minn.-based ERSystems donated its Eraguard 500 White Acrylic Roof Coating to the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) of Philadelphia's Cool Aid Program. The program's goal is to provide affordable cooling to low-income elderly people without raising energy costs. To achieve this, the program requests donations of reflective roof coatings and other energy-saving home treatments.

ERSystems was contacted by ECA of Philadelphia because its Eraguard 500 White Acrylic Roof Coating is Energy Star®-rated and can be used over existing asphalt roof systems. This year marks the third year ERSystems has donated to the program, and its donation doubled the number of houses the Cool Aid Program was able to repair.

According to Tim Leonard, vice president of operations and technology for ERSystems, making the decision to donate materials was easy.

Leonard says: "We definitely thought it was a good cause and wanted to help ECA of Philadelphia get started. Without donations to the Cool Aid Program, it would fall by the wayside. We plan to continue donating products to this program."

This is your opportunity

Because the roofing industry performs an invaluable service that always will be needed and can be costly, donating roofing work and materials is the industry's preferred method to give back to communities and people in need.

But whether you provide charitable roofing work or become involved with a charitable organization, it is important you fulfill Bush's call to service. It is your opportunity to not only improve the roofing industry's image but also make a difference in your community.

Christina Koch is assistant editor of Professional Roofing magazine.