Holiday heroes keep a family safe and sound for the holidays

By Emma Peterson.   

The best gift this holiday season came to this mom of four in the form of a free roof.  

DryHome Roofing and Siding in Northern Virginia hosted their 21st annual Free Roof for the Holidays program last December. They have served their community for over 35 years and founded this program to thank the people in their community that need a helping hand. So far, the program has donated over 20 roofs valued at more than $200,000. Most recently, one of those roofs was gifted to Asma Messaoudi, a disabled single mom.  

Asma moved to the United States in 2006. In 2016, she was able to purchase her first house through Loudoun Habitat for Humanity’s affordable home ownership program. This program focuses on helping home buyers in the area that earn 30%-60% of their area’s median income. They give them the tools to learn how to own and maintain a home and qualified buyers have the opportunity to buy a house for an affordable, no-profit-to-seller price. 

The program was a massive help to Asma, but when she found out that her roof needed to be replaced in 2023, she didn’t know what to do. Her insurance company was telling her that she would lose coverage if she didn’t have the work done by mid-December, which was a huge task for her. But the Loudoun Habitat for Humanity didn’t leave her to deal with this alone. They nominated her for the Free Roof for the Holidays program. 

When they received her nomination in November, DryHome knew they wanted to help. Their CEO Steve Gotschi told LoudounNow, “Ms. Messoudi has worked so hard to help buy her home through Loudoun Habitat. We are so pleased that our gift of a roof will enable her to keep her homeowners’ insurance and provide a safe place to live for her family.” In addition to relieving the financial burden of a reroof, the company was able to help Asma make repairs to her home that make it more accessible for her disability.  

In the past, the Free Roof for the Holidays program has helped countless people in the regions. Last year a roof went to a nonprofit helping adults with mental health challenges called Pathway Homes. Others have gone to veterans, single mothers, widows, safehouses and churches. Steve expressed that the company is proud to help their community, saying that they want Asma to be able to “focus on caring for her family and herself.” 

Photo Source: Loudoun Now