For more than a decade, Giving Tuesday has encouraged people and organizations to donate to charitable causes on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the U.S. It is meant to promote altruism and generosity following Black Friday consumerism.
More than 2,500 nonprofit organizations participated in Giving Tuesday the first year, raising $12 million. Since its creation in 2012, the movement has dramatically expanded. On Giving Tuesday 2023, donations totaled $3.1 billion in the U.S.
In the roofing industry, giving happens every day. Roofing professionals share their talents and skills, volunteer, fundraise and participate in activities to support and strengthen their communities daily. Without the support of roofing volunteers, many people would be left without adequate shelter, and most nonprofits would be unable to do their important work.
The power of roofing industry volunteers cannot be overemphasized. This summer, Professional Roofing salutes a few of the individuals and companies that have recently made a difference in others’ lives, demonstrating the compassionate, generous nature of our industry.
ForKids
In 2012, Dan Beck, president of Beck Roofing Co. Inc., Hayward, Calif., was invited to join the board of directors of Chesapeake, Va.-based ForKids Inc., an organization providing emergency shelter to families experiencing homelessness in Virginia. ForKids’ in-depth programs assist more than 250 families, including 500 children throughout the region.
While Beck served on the board, Beck Roofing performed repairs on numerous properties at no cost to ForKids. Most recently, in 2022, the company removed the existing asphalt shingles from a leaking roof on a ForKids residential housing facility and installed a new asphalt shingle roof system. During 2023, the company conducted repairs on two of the organization’s properties.
“ForKids is incredibly grateful to Beck Roofing for its support over many years,” says Bill Young, chief innovation officer for ForKids. “They provided a full roof system replacement on one of the homes we own that had a failing roof. Thanks to their quick, professional and free services, ForKids has been able to reinvest funds that would have been used for the replacement. Beck Roofing treats us like their best customer.”
During the holidays, Beck Roofing staff members also collect toys and gift cards from employees and business partners to deliver to ForKids. Although Beck no longer serves on the board, ForKids remains near and dear to the company, and its charitable work with the organization continues.
Beldon Family Foundation
In 2018, Beldon Roofing Co., San Antonio, formed the Beldon Family Foundation with the specific purpose of making a direct impact on the educational, religious and healthcare needs of the San Antonio community.
To that end, in 2022, the foundation partnered with the Alamo Colleges District and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to pilot a new mental health initiative to serve underprivileged students in San Antonio community colleges.
Thanks to a generous donation of $277,440 from the Beldon Family Foundation, the Alamo Colleges District is expanding services at student advocacy centers to include a psychiatric nurse practitioner to meet immediate needs and pursue new opportunities to further enhance students’ educational experiences.
Project Homeless Connect
To reach more people in need and bolster philanthropic efforts, Bliss Roofing Inc., Clackamas, Ore., has partnered with Home Builders Foundation, a charitable division of National Association of Home Builders, and the National Women in Roofing Oregon Council on several projects.
During National Roofing Week June 4-10, 2023, the groups kicked off the summer with a Project Homeless Connect of Washington County, Ore., initiative, where volunteers helped tear off roofing materials, make roof deck repairs and install a new roof system on a homeless shelter.
Stephanie Baird, general manager for Bliss Roofing, is community outreach chair for the NWiR Oregon Council and was the main contact for the project. In recognition of her outstanding and ongoing extraordinary contributions to the organization, in 2022, Baird was awarded the Home Builders Foundation Volunteer of the Year.
“What an amazing way to spend National Roofing Week by partnering with the Home Builders Foundation to gift a new roof system to Project Homeless Connect of Washington County,” Baird said during the event. “Our roofing gift is valued at $35,000 and was only possible because of the contributions and collaboration of many!”
The Cool Roof Rating Council; Malarkey Roofing Products, Portland; Owens Corning, Toledo, Ohio; and SA Roofing, Aloha, Ore., also helped make the project possible.
“Home Builders Foundation—HomeAid® Portland is thrilled to work with National Women in Roofing on another shelter project,” added Brenda Ketah, executive director of Home Builders Foundation. “The volunteers are fantastic to work with and every detail is planned and organized. We are so appreciative of this partnership and can’t wait for the next project!”
Bone Dry Loves Pink
For the team at Bone Dry Roofing Inc., Indianapolis, giving back to their community is as important as delivering successful roofing projects. Six years ago, the company team created an annual Bone Dry Loves Pink campaign to help breast cancer patients and survivors and fund ongoing research.
The campaign runs Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 each year. During this time, a percentage of the profits received from total roof system replacements is donated to the Bone Dry Loves Pink campaign. To promote efforts, employees wear pink shirts and distribute pink swag, such as pens, clips and notepads, to clients, and Owens Corning generously matches donations up to $5,000 per year.
Since the campaign’s inception in 2017, the Bone Dry Roofing and Owens Corning teams have collectively donated more than $39,000 to the Susan G. Komen® nonprofit organization dedicated to ending breast cancer.
In addition to the donation component of Bone Dry Loves Pink, Bone Dry Roofing is a gold sponsor of the annual Komen Indianapolis More Than Pink Walk, where staff members set up a tent and offer goodie bags and prizes for breast cancer survivors and walk participants.
“I express my sincerest gratitude to Bone Dry Roofing for their continued support of our foundation,” says Stephen Hunt, development director, Indiana and Kentucky, for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. “The research we are doing has the potential to save lives, and it’s because of donor partners like Bone Dry Roofing that we are able to continue expanding into new research studies and clinical trials every year and provide financial assistance for patients in dire need.”
Bay Cliff Health Camp
Helping those in urgent need of a roof over their head is what the team at Dan Perkins Construction Inc., Ishpeming, Mich., is committed to providing. Every year, the company donates a roof system worth $10,000 to a nonprofit organization, school or municipality.
In previous years, the company donated and installed three roofs for an AMVET (American veterans) camping park and recently donated half the materials and provided the labor to install a 24-gauge mechanically locked Kynar-coated (Galvalume®) roof system on the arts and crafts building of Bay Cliff Health Camp, Big Bay, Mich., a place where handicapped children learn to become more independent and overcome disabilities.
Dan Perkins, president of Dan Perkins Construction, is a district governor for Lions Clubs International, the first organization to donate to Bay Cliff Health Camp when two women from Drummond Island, Mich., opened the camp to help feed starving children during the Great Depression.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for Dan Perkins Construction and their contributions to Bay Cliff Health Camp’s mission of service to children living with disabilities,” says Clare Lutgen, executive director of Bay Cliff Health Camp.
This month, the company is donating the materials and labor to install a pavilion roof on a city bandstand at Al Quaal Recreation Area, Ishpeming.
“When we do these volunteer jobs, we do them with everyone on the crew,” Perkins says. “It is a crew-building event, and it is a show of force when 15 people show up to do a job in one to two days. We provide people with roofs that keep water out.”
Relay for Life
Team members at Four Seasons Kanga Roof, Clinton Township, Mich., are walking their way to finding a cure for cancer.
In June 2022, staff formed a team to sponsor a Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society. To reach a goal of raising $15,000, Four Seasons Kanga Roof donated all patient diagnostic fees for two months, matched contributions up to $5,000, staffed a table at the Relay for Life event and sponsored a par three “shout out” at Cedar Glenn Golf Club, Baltimore, Mich.
The Relay for Life event was so successful, the Four Seasons Kanga Roof team participated the following year at the 2023 Relay for Life event, where the company now has donated more than $25,000 toward the cause, and has plans to participate again this summer.
“Partnering with Relay for Life allows our team to come together and make a meaningful impact on the community,” says Bill Burkhardt Jr., vice president of sales and marketing for Four Seasons Kanga Roof. “Since 2022, our team has raised more than $200,000 for a great cause and ended up growing closer together. We are a better team now for participating and helping the community.”
Thanks to the dedicated team of walkers, Four Seasons Kanga Roof’s donation helped fund $14 million for research and a 24/7 American Cancer Society helpline to help patients.
In addition to helping the American Cancer Society, Four Seasons Kanga Roof helps ensure every child in metro Detroit has a happy Christmas. In 2023, the company team donated two truckloads worth $4,400 in toys to the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots, an organization with a mission of providing toys, books and emotional support to disadvantaged children.
This year, the company is stepping up efforts to spread hope to children by creating a perpetually funded Evan Vaillancourt Legacy Scholarship Fund for students who have lost a parent while serving active duty in the military. The funds are awarded to help cover the cost of tuition at De La Salle Collegiate High School, Warren, Mich. Four Seasons Kanga Roof made an initial $50,000 donation and has a goal to raise more than $250,000 by the end of 2024, eventually covering 80% of a student’s annual tuition.
“Evan was the brother of a team member who passed away suddenly while on active duty at the age of 22,” Burkhardt explains. “He was a graduate of De La Salle Collegiate High School. The scholarship allows us to leave a legacy for him because he was not able to do so while on Earth.”
American Red Cross
The team at IB Roof Systems, Grapevine, Texas, is proving it only takes one person to help save hundreds of lives.
The company has been leading an industrywide blood drive for the American Red Cross with the support of the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants’ North Texas Chapter; North Texas Roofing Contractors Association; NWiR Dallas-Fort Worth Council; and National Roofing Partners LLC, Coppell, Texas.
Every quarter, IB Roof Systems CEO Jason Stanley and Executive Assistant/Office Manager Debbie Sargo organize a blood drive at the company’s headquarters in Grapevine, where a training room is transformed into a public donation center for six hours. Stanley’s sons, Cayden and Preston, were first-time donors in 2022, and his wife, Teresa, donates blood faithfully.
During 2023, the company collected 74 units of blood from 85 donors, of which 24 were first-time donors. Chad Ellis, inside technical representative for IB Roof Systems, discovered he has sickle cell antigens in his blood, which means his blood may be more compatible with individuals who have sickle cell disease or other conditions requiring frequent blood transfusions. The American Red Cross contacted Ellis via an app to inform him his blood helped save more than one life at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
“IB Roof Systems should be commended for such amazing work,” says Deneisha Nelson, account manager, donor recruitment, for the American Red Cross. “I am grateful for the relationship with Debbie Sargo, our direct point of contact who is exceptional in her role and work. Thank you all.”
Habitat for Humanity®
When Industrial Roofing Co., Lewiston, Maine, and Beacon Building Products, Herndon, Va., partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland to install a new roof system on a local house, it was a perfect collaboration of exceptional installation, materials and organization.
Beacon Building Products donated the materials, and six employees from Industrial Roofing volunteered their skills and labor to install a new asphalt shingle roof system on a Habitat for Humanity project in Portland. The crew completed the project in one day and was happy to have a day away from a typical job site to help get the building weathertight for the new homeowners.
“We are thankful for the time and effort [Industrial Roofing] donated to us on behalf of [the new homeowners],” says Chad Mullin, director of construction and housing programs for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland. “It is because of partnerships with companies and organizations such as Industrial Roofing that we can help struggling families find a decent and affordable home to call their own, which many would be unable to attain apart from this program.”
Alex’s Lemonade Stand
The crew at Power Home Remodeling Group LLC, Chester, Pa., continues to make a difference in others’ lives every day through its partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to finding cures for various forms of childhood cancer.
Since 2011, the Power Home Remodeling Group designates a giving period during the year, creating an environment focused on education, engaging events, healthy competition, compassion and teamwork that unifies employees around a purpose-driven initiative.
In addition to payroll donations, employees host family events, volunteer at hospitals, staff lemonade stands, host auctions and kickball events, and organize a variety of other opportunities to generate awareness and funds for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
During 2023, the Power Home Remodeling Group team raised a record $1.6 million in donations. All donations go toward the company’s “Power the Cure” fund that supports various Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation innovative therapy grants.
“Power Home Remodeling Group is a dedicated and committed partner of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation,” says Sarah McIntosh, senior manager of partnerships at Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. “Since we partnered with them in 2011, they have gone above and beyond to truly move the needle for pediatric cancer research and families fighting this disease. We would not be able to do the work we do without stellar partners like Power Home Remodeling Group.”
She Builds
The powerhouse women of Guardian Roofing, Moses Lake, Wash., helped install a new roof system in partnership with the Seattle Chapter of NWiR and Rebuilding Together® of South Sound, Tacoma, Wash., as part of She Builds, a collaboration of neighbors and partners dedicated to advancing housing and community issues affecting women.
Women-led and women-focused, She Builds provides critical repairs for women-headed households and women-focused community spaces to empower women to maintain safe, healthy homes, make a difference in their communities and build a supportive community network. Participants come to the builds with experiences and skills to share and learn from each other.
The overall scope of a recent She Builds project included removing the old roof system, repairing the roof deck, upgrading ventilation and installing a new asphalt shingle roof system.
In support of the project and as part of their commitment to empowering women in the construction industry, Guardian Roofing launched a safety and installation training program before the event so volunteers could use their newly learned skills on the project.
Beacon Building Products donated and delivered the materials, and a team of Guardian Roofing technicians volunteered the labor to make the project possible.
“We are committed to helping other women in need,” says Lori Swanson, CEO of Guardian Roofing. “This is more than just construction; it’s a statement that we build stronger together. As an Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractor, we were able to tap their charitable giving program, Platinum Gives Back, to solicit donated shingle products for the new roof.”
St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway
When you have the ability to build a roof, you can make a dream come true. That’s what GAF, Parsippany, N.J., in partnership with Mulberry Builders, Lexington, Ky., accomplished when they recently donated a new roof system to the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway. The giveaway is a nationwide program run by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn., to raise funds for their mission of treating and defeating childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Mulberry Builders donated building materials and installation labor, and GAF donated the roofing materials. The collaboration 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.
The St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway hosts more than 40 home giveaways across the U.S. The program gives people the chance to buy a $100 ticket to be entered into a raffle to win a fully furnished dream home in various cities across the country. The goal of the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway is to raise funds to ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude Children’s Hospital for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child.
“Thanks to our project partners and sponsors who generously donate their time, materials and expertise to make dreams come true for our winners and St. Jude families, we are able to continue to make great strides raising funds to help end childhood cancers,” shares Katy O’Toole, area executive director at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Always giving
From roof system giveaways that make homeowners’ dreams come true to blood donation events that save lives, roofing professionals support and advocate for their communities and neighbors in need every day. When a community calls out for help, the roofing industry answers.
What is your company doing to help your community? Tell us your story at professionalroofing@professionalroofing.net.
NRCA and the Roofing Alliance give back
NRCA and Roofing Alliance members and staff look forward to serving their communities whenever possible. At press time, to celebrate National Roofing Week, NRCA staff were planning a donation drive to benefit the Self-Help Closet and Pantry of Des Plaines, Ill., to help serve more than 900 local households.
During the holidays, the NRCA team volunteered at a Feed My Starving Children event, where volunteers packed 117 boxes that provided 25,272 meals for the community and malnourished children around the world.
In addition, Roofing Alliance and NRCA members have been busy making repairs on Ronald McDonald House® Charities buildings. In 2016, the Roofing Alliance forged a partnership with RMHC, where all 167 standalone Ronald McDonald Houses were adopted by roofing professionals. During the past year, volunteers worked on three RMHC projects:
Great Lakes Roofing Corp., Germantown, Wis., generously donated time and materials to install a new roof for RMHC of Marshfield, Wis. GAF, Parsippany, N.J., and ABC Supply Co. Inc., Beloit, Wis., also donated materials to the project.
Thanks to committed partners American Hydrotech Inc., Chicago; IB Roof Systems, Grapevine, Texas; Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal Inc., Wheeling, W.Va.; and Hunter Panels LLC, Portland, Maine, who all donated materials and labor, RMHC in central Ohio made history when it was newly renovated and expanded to become the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world to serve 2,000 more families each year.
And thanks to generous material donations from Holcim Solutions and Products LLC, Nashville, Tenn., and Georgia-Pacific Gypsum, Atlanta, a new Ronald McDonald House was built in St. Louis to serve more members of the community in their times of need. The material donations helped make the $34 million project possible.
CHRYSTINE ELLE HANUS is Professional Roofing’s associate editor and an NRCA director of communications.
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