Community outreach gives veteran a new roof
CORINTH, N.Y. » Retired veteran Joe Salisbury is the humble recipient of a brand new roof through Owens Corning’s Roof Deployment Project. Working together with Pinnacle Roofing, Inc. and Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, the roof is being constructed completely free of charge to Salisbury.
“We work with Owens Corning a lot, and we were very happy to be selected for this project,” said Jeff Patrick, one of the owners of Pinnacle Roofing, Inc.
On Wednesday and Thursday, after a shaky start due to what Patrick described as “sideways snow,” the Pinnacle crew worked hard to tear off the old roof and replace it with new underlayment - the paper-like material that helps prevent leaks - and gray shingles. All of the materials were provided by Owens Corning.
“It’s one of the best roofing materials out there,” Patrick said.
Patrick’s seven-man crew was led by foreman Lamont Taylor, who has been working with his
team for at least five years and happy to be using Owens Corning materials for the project.
“My guys do great work - I love working with them,” commented Taylor. “The project is going good so far. Prepping to put the new roof on is the longer part. When we put the shingles on, it’ll go quicker. Owens Corning is the best in the business, I love it.”
Pat r i ck descr i bed the roofing project as a 30- square project. In the roofing industry, one square measures ten by ten feet. Salisbury’s house, an old bed and breakfast with a wraparound porch, had a lot of area on the roof to work with. Patrick estimated that a project like this could typically cost around $15,000.
Pinnacle Roofing, Inc., a longtime partner with Owens Corning whose territory covers anywhere within a 2-hour radius of Albany, worked on three roofing projects for frontline workers over the summer. This is their first job with Owens Corning’s Roof Development Project.
The project is actually a nationwide effort to show gratitude and honor the veterans who served our country and the families who support them. Since the inception of this program in 2016, more than 225 mili
tary members have received new roofs.
At the local level, Owens Corning works with Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, who gets grants to make projects such as the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project possible. Rebuilding Together, whose mission is to “revitalize the community by promoting continued home- ownership,” has many grants that can assist veterans and lowto-middle-income families with a variety of home repair projects, from roofs to flooring to handicap accessibility modifications.
“It all depends on the grants we can get,” said Tricia Hasbrook, who was Salisbury’s point of contact through his application process. “It’s a great program. We’d like it if more veterans applied.”
That’s a sentiment echoed by Salisbury himself, who served for four years in the Marines and six years in the Army National Guard Reserves, then spent 18 years as a police officer before finally having to retire due to work-related injuries.
“I have no regrets - if I was 30 years younger, I’d do it all over again,” Salisbury said proudly. “It was an honor to serve.”
Salisbury understands that after working so hard to serve your country, sometimes it can be tough to ask for help - but it’s nothing to be afraid of.
“Don’t be ashamed,” Salisbury said. “These peo
ple want to help out.”
Salisbury has owned his home for about two years. He found out about Rebuilding Together Saratoga County through a friend, who encouraged him to apply to get his roof, which was not in good condition, replaced. He was shocked when he found out his application had been accepted.
“It’s very exciting,” he said. “There’s a lot of goodhearted people and companies still out there. I can’t wait to see the finished product. It’s going to look nice. I really don’t have the words to express how very grateful and thankful I am for everything everyone has
done.”
Laura Zapata, the area sales manager for Owens Corning, is glad to see the Roof Deployment Project in action. Zapata has been involved with it since the beginning, working with Rebuilding Together Saratoga County to get veterans the home repairs they need.
“It’s something we can do to show our appreciation for the veterans, a way to give back for all they have done,” Zapata commented.
For more information on the Roof Deployment Project, or to learn more about how you can get involved, please contact roofdeployment@owenscorning.com.