Hardworking Caregiver Recipient of New Roof

By Lauren White, RCS Reporter.

Faced with medical bills and failing roof patches, Charles was prepared to fix his roof one shingle at a time.

When it rains outside, it rains in the kitchen as Charles Rucker cooks meals for his wife Bettie.  Having worked all of his life, Charles has now shifted to being a full-time caregiver for his wife of 47 years.  He’s also navigating a leaky roof.  

“I got pans sitting down there and catching water.  I went up there and patched it but it didn’t solve the problem.  Right now I just don’t have the money to put a roof on...” Charles told WSET.

His wife Bettie has been having some medical issues.  Most recently, one of her legs was amputated. Charles is the nurturer and provider to Bettie, and he also takes care of the house.  He shared with WSET that he’s “...happy to do the job, but it doesn’t come without challenges.”

“I was right there in the street one day, walking and thinking and looking and thought, ‘Well, I’m going to have to buy a bunch of shingles or two at a time in order to get this whole roof fixed up...’” Charles explained in his interview with ABC13.  Little did he know his fortune would change before he had to do any more patching.

Cenvar Roofing and ABC13 partnered together to provide a family in need with a brand new roof through the “No Roof Left Behind” campaign.  Four families were nominated by Cenvar Roofing to receive a new roof. The Rucker’s received the most votes from their community, making them the winners!  

2020 marks the eighth year Cenvar Roofing has given back to a deserving family in Lynchburg, Virginia.  The idea for “No Roof Left Behind” came from the Cenvar Roofing brothers’ grandfather. He told them about living through the Great Depression, sharing, “It wasn’t all bad, neighbors did what they could for each other.  We stuck together because we had to, and then it was bearable.” Remembering what he told them, the campaign was started.  And now this program is available to other like-minded contractors across the country, to help more families get the protection they need and deserve.

Although Bettie is currently staying at a rehabilitation center and is unable to have visitors due to coronavirus precautions, she’ll have a new, leak-free roof to return home to.  

Finding out he was the winner was the boost Charles needed.  He shares, “Y’all brought joy back to me when I peeped through that little peep hole and saw all the balloons and I saw the camera on the porch...I said, ‘Lord have mercy, evidently I must be the one!’”

Holton Walker, Cenvar Roofing General Manager, told ABC13, “There’s a lot of negativity out there right now, but just being able to help someone in need is very heartwarming.”  Now Charles will be able to fix meals for Bettie without getting rained on thanks to the generosity of Cenvar Roofing and ABC13.

Do you know of someone in the industry who is ‘doing good deeds’ in their community? Help us catch them at it. Send news and information to info@rooferscoffeeshop.com.