Beacon of Hope

GIGI M.

HARRINGTON PARK, NJ
UNITED STATES

Gigi is a hard working, determined woman who enlisted in the Army during her senior year of high school, in order to help with college. During her sophomore year she was deployed to Iraq for 12 months. Gigi left the service in 2006 to raise her children, before re-entering service in 2015 to attend Officer Candidacy School where she commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, before she was ultimately forced to leave service again due to a back injury. She is in desperate need of a new roof, but simply lacks the funds to pay for a new install. - Brian M.

KIM Y.

HOUSTON, TX
UNITED STATES

This couple is comprised of a husband and wife that both fought in the Korean War. They risked their lives to fight for what is right and now live in a house with a roof that leaks every time it rains. This is ruining their home, and it is disheartening to know that two courageous, selfless individuals have to live with such a heaven burden on them. The family deserves to live worry-free in a home after fighting for all of us to live a better life. They are such wonderful people that constantly tend to the needs of others, but live in an extremely unhealthy environment. – Christina R.

THOMAS K.

PEMBROKE, ONTARIO
CANADA

Tom served close to 30 years in the CAF (Army) and was deployed on 4 tours, including Iraq, Rwanda and two to Afghanistan. Tom has always “done” for others and often pushed through physical pain to do so, as both his knees are completely destroyed from years of marching and his service. I am very proud of Tom and his service to our country. He has lost friends to PTSD and IEDs and he continues to support those who continue to battle both physical and mental injuries. His pension is certainly not enough to facilitate paying for a new roof, despite the shingles completely curling up and the various leaks, which he simply patches up to try and extend the life of the roof a little longer. - Jean Grant-K.

ASHLEY H.

NEW KENSINGTON, PA
UNITED STATES

Ashley has been in the Military for 6 years now and just reenlisted for another 6 years. She is a hard worker who is not only in the Military but has a full-time job & goes to college (off & on). She is so young but so diligent and you do not see that as often in the younger generations. On top of her busy work schedule, she is one of the care givers for her paralyzed father. When she was 12 years old, she was swimming in the backyard with her father and siblings. Her father dove into the pool and broke his neck paralyzing him from the chest down. With him being paralyzed there is not much income going through the home to be able to afford a new roof. - Emmaleigh C.

GARY D.

JOPPA, MD
UNITED STATES

Gary is a retired Veteran of The US Army who when thought was going to Vietnam was instead sent to Germany to serve his tour as a Turret mechanic, then transferred to Bravo repairing tanks. During that time Gary was dedicated to continuing to help his fellow troops by donating blood every 2 weeks for Vietnam. In 1993 while working at Aberdeen Proving grounds, Gary was hospitalized after undergoing an ERCP test that caused him pancreatitis and stomach issues leaving him never to return to good health again. The gratitude this family would have for a roof to keep them dry would go beyond words. - Don and Michele R.

JENNIFER R.

DELTA, PA
UNITED STATES

SGT Jennifer R. is a Pennsylvania Army National Guard Member who recently found out she has aggressive cervical cancer. She is a single mom who is unable to work 40 hours a week as a truck driver due to health/treatment. She was so sick during Annual Training she was released early. Jennifer is a Veteran serving in 2020-2021 OEF and was referred to me for help with roof replacement. Helping her with this would allow her to focus her energy on treatment and getting well. At this time, Jennifer is unsure her roof can make it through a hard winter with heavy snow. - Monica K

MAXIME G.

ST-DONAT-DE-MONTCALM, QUEBEC
CANADA

I am Maxime's spouse and have been with him now for 20 years. He was released in 2016 after his mission in Afghanistan, where he came back with severe PTSD. Through the years, we have had struggles, but we always found a way to get over them. I think it would be his biggest surprise and relief to know that our roof would finally be fixed, and he could put more energy on other things (the rest of the exterior of the house, homeschooling, and other issues that we have) to finally say that we are comfortable in our house that we always wanted. To all the vets, thank you for your service and for being devoted to the CAF. - Myrna R.

SOMMER G.

RED BLUFF, CA
UNITED STATES

Sommer is a Marine Corp veteran, and her husband Trevor is an Army veteran. Sommer fought in OIF III and IV. Since being out in 2008 she has dedicated her life to serving at-risk youth. She is currently the principal at a juvenile hall and works tirelessly to serve adjudicated youth across 6 counties. She is also a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault while in the military. She bought her house a year ago and just found mold, water damage, and termites devouring her roof. Trevor, an Afghanistan vet is disabled but works hard at what he can on the home. – Sommer G.

American Legion Post 72

CHENEY, WA
UNITED STATES

American Legion Post 72 has been a meeting place for veterans (and heroes) and their families for over 70 years. Our Post has 148 active members, 60+ S.O.N.S. and 78 Auxiliary members. The roof has needed replacing for several years, but members repaired it and we limped along in the past. As a nonprofit, we raise money to reinvest in our veterans, scholarships for children of veterans, meals to recognize our veterans and their sacrifices, and to honor boy scouts to name a few of our functions. We also provide a meeting place for our local VFW as they don't have their own building. - Rebecca V.

VFW POST 4639

WILLIAMSBURG, VA
UNITED STATES

Our Post provides a vital link to four other service organizations that use our space monthly, the American Red Cross blood drive, Veterans breakfast and Food Drives to assist those in need. We have a very active post that is continuously donating its time within the community. Our roof has weathered countless storms, but time has taken its toll. Recent heavy rains have caused leaks, leading to water damage inside our Post home to the point we removed the chimney stack completely and patched the area. We fear that further delays could compromise our Post home safety and well-being of the roof structure itself. - Michael I