Non-profit teams up with roofing company to help a veteran in need

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Having a sturdy roof over one's head is something many of us probably take for granted.

However, as the rebuilding process continues for those hit hardest by Hurricane Florence, a new roof may seem like a luxury.

Through a collaborative effort by a non-profit organization and a business in Wilmington, one local veteran will soon get that gift for free.

Step Up for Soldiers has partnered with Monarch Roofing to give a vet in need a new roof, and Step Up’s Rick Courtney hopes this one act of charity leads to others.

“When you can give back to somebody that’s less fortunate, hope runs rampant then,” Courtney said Friday outside Monarch Roofing’s headquarters in Wilmington. "Right now, people feel hopeless. Being able to put a new roof on somebody’s house, that gives them a little bit of hope. That’s one bill they won’t have to incur. They can maybe use that money to fix their deck, their yard, their car.

"There's not a shortage of needs for people right now."

To be eligible for the free roof, veterans must have been honorably discharged and be a New Hanover County resident. Email entries to rick@stepupforsoldiers.org until June 15 at noon.

The Step Up Facebook page outlines the rest of the guidelines and Courtney will announce the winner July 4 on Facebook Live.

Committing time and resources to building a free roof won't help Monarch's bottom line but the company's managing partner, Mike Fluhr, said he's happy to give back to members of the armed forces.

"If you look at the sacrifices that a soldier, the families, make for the freedoms that we have in this country, it's really not free," Fluhr said. "It's really just a small token for the things they've put forward for the country."

In addition to the roof giveaway, Monarch and GAF shingle manufacturing company offer $500 rebates through their Roof for Troops program. Active military, veterans and retirees are eligible.

Click here for more information.

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