CORINTH, Maine — While Army veteran David Parsons was in Boston on Monday for surgery related to his cancer diagnosis, workers for a local company climbed tall ladders to give him a Christmas surprise.
They stripped old, failing shingles in 23-degree weather and laid new 50-year shingles on the roof of his Penobscot County home.
Maine Veterans Project founder Shawn Goodwin said the group has done about 40 roofing projects but lately has had to turn down requests because it’s become too costly.
In this instance, Parsons had approached Goodwin last month to ask if the group could help him with a roof.
“We very politely told him in November there was no way we could do a roof,” Goodwin said.
Not too much later, Home Roofing Solutions of Etna asked him to see if anyone needed help.
“It’s so special that these guys came to us,” Goodwin said.
Founded in Bangor in 2015, the veterans project is a nonprofit that seeks to reduce veteran suicides by finding ways to help those in need.
In general, the veterans project now focuses on heating fuel assistance, food insecurity, wheelchairs and other mobility devices, events to foster camaraderie and a vehicle donation program.
Keith Rogers, a supervisor with the roofing company, said he and other company leaders approached Goodwin after talking about ways they could help veterans.
“I think there a lot of veterans out there that do need a lot of help,” said Rogers, an Army veteran. “They either fall through the cracks of services and or needs and it’s really tough for a lot of them to get the help they need.”
Rogers estimated the value of the job at $10,000 to $15,000. He hopes other roofing companies across Maine will think about helping others as well.
“I know that in my heart I helped somebody today,” Rogers said. “That sets a precedent. I really hope it kind of sets the tone for other roofing companies to step forward as well to help everybody out.”
With the roof nearly complete, Rogers called Parsons and his wife, Julie, at the hospital for the big reveal. Rogers turned the phone camera toward the roof as workers laid the final rows of shingles.
“This is amazing,” she said. “Thank you so so much.”
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