Marine Corps Veteran Receives a Free Roof

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

Owens Corning and Habitat for Humanity come together to provide a free roof to a veteran in need. 

Jason Bunn served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1992 to 1998. He was a machine gunner stationed in Cuba and told reporter Michaela Sumner of the Newark Advocate that it was both exciting and lonely. Now the Marine veteran is humbled to have been a recipient of a free roof through the partnership of Owens Corning and Habitat for Humanity.  

Jason graduated from Licking Valley High School in Ohio and, after serving in Cuba, stayed at Fort Gordon in Georgia while his wife served in the Air Force. After her service ended, the two decided to go back home to Newark, Ohio. 

Through the Newark Veterans Administration, Bunn was able to find the Habitat for Humanity repair program. This program, according to community and family impact manager Lydia Prenger, does critical health and safety repairs with owner-occupied homes.   

"Jason applied for that program and we went through our process with him. We do have a veterans discount that we give through our veterans program, so as a thank you for their service, they get a discount on the project," Prenger said. "We have a partnership with Owens Corning and so...they said they would like to do a roof for a veteran, so we connected them to Jason." 

Owens Corning contacted Habitat for Humanity Mid-Ohio looking for a veteran in need. Jamie Keller, senior director of development said Owens Corning is donating the materials needed for Bunn's roof and their partner, Lifetime Quality Roofing & Storm Restoration, donated the labor. 

"It's a really great partnership between three organizations to have a veteran who needs work, a roofing company who's committed to the community donating labor, and Owens Corning who's connected us all together and they're donating the materials," Keller said. 

The CEO of Lifetime Quality Roofing & Storm Restoration, Zach Willard, said showing their appreciation for a local veteran was well worth the donated time and labor. 

"This is what it's all about for us: to be able to give back and help people. It's important," Willard said. "We do a lot of projects throughout the year. To be able to be out here and see Jason and what we're able to do for him and his family and give him the security of knowing he's going to have a brand-new Lifetime roof on his house is awesome. It means a lot to us." 

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.