YORK, S.C. — Habitat for Humanity workers spent the day scraping and hammering in York, South Carolina Thursday. They replaced the old, leaky roof on the home of a military veteran, and they did it all for free.
The house has been home to several generations of the Vincent family, but when the roof started to leak, it was time to scrape off the old shingles.
Nobody looks forward to a roof replacement, and Steven Vincent was no different. The U.S. Army Reserves veteran managed to get on the list to receive a free roof, his nephew Jack Vincent explained to WCNC Charlotte.
"Oh, he was raised in this house," the younger Vincent explained. "My grandfather was a World War II veteran and after World War II he worked for the mill up here, Ross Cannon,"
Vincent said the house has been in the family for a long time.
Like everything else, the cost of a new roof has been rising in the last couple of years.
"We’ve seen a big price increase, not just with shingles but with labor, pretty much everything," Chris Merritt, the owner of Merritt Roofing, explained. "So, it’s definitely a big help to someone, a veteran like this."
This is why Merritt Roofing joined forces with the company that manufactures the shingles, Owens Corning.
"It is a high ticket item and it’s something that you have to have at your house," Scot Gelinas, a sales manager for Owens Corning, said. "Once you get a couple leaks, you realize how important having a roof is over your head."
Vincent's roof would have cost almost $10,000 but these companies are doing it for free. That financial savings relieves a huge burden, according to Tim Veeck of Habitat for Humanity in York County.
"We’re in an affordable housing crisis," Veeck explained. "So, any time a family can remain in their home and have that home to pass down as an asset... it’s huge."
Sadly, Vincent didn’t live long enough to see his new roof. The 80-year-old died of congestive heart failure in March, his family said. These companies kept their word and made sure the Vincent family home stayed on the list.
Topped with new shingles, the house is now fixed.
"It’s wonderful, it really is," Jack Vincent said of his uncle's home. "People who help our veterans are wonderful people."
Jack said the home has been empty since his uncle died, and the Vincents are going to try their best to keep it in the family.
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