‘Blessed and Grateful’: Retired Bellefonte veteran gets free roof replacement through local construction company
PHOTO PROVIEDED Roofers from Starway Roof Systems are pictured installing a roof on the home of Bellefonte veteran Thomas Sharpe’s home Monday morning.
From left, are U.S. Army Veteran Thomas Sharpe, his wife Cheryl and Zane Shober, Starways Content Manager holding a sign indicating the Giving Back Program that helped secure a new roof for the veteran’s home. HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS
HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS A roofer for Starway Roof Systems is seen through the skylight of the Sharpe home in Bellefonte as he installs a portion of the couple’s new roof on Monday.
HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Roofers for Starway Roof Systems are pictured installing a roof on the home of Bellefonte veteran Thomas Sharpe’s home Monday morning.
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PHOTO PROVIEDED Roofers from Starway Roof Systems are pictured installing a roof on the home of Bellefonte veteran Thomas Sharpe’s home Monday morning.
From left, are U.S. Army Veteran Thomas Sharpe, his wife Cheryl and Zane Shober, Starways Content Manager holding a sign indicating the Giving Back Program that helped secure a new roof for the veteran’s home. HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS
HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS A roofer for Starway Roof Systems is seen through the skylight of the Sharpe home in Bellefonte as he installs a portion of the couple’s new roof on Monday.
HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Roofers for Starway Roof Systems are pictured installing a roof on the home of Bellefonte veteran Thomas Sharpe’s home Monday morning.
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BELLEFONTE -- A hometown veteran is heading into the holidays with an unexpected gift: a brand-new roof courtesy of a local construction company.
Starway Roof Systems, an Owens Corning Platinum Roofing Contractor, helped give Bellefonte resident and disabled U.S. Army veteran Thomas Sharpe the new roof on Monday as part of its mission to give back to those who served.
Completed at no cost to Sharpe and his wife, Cheryl, the approximately $15,000 project was made possible by the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project in partnership with Purple Heart Homes, a nonprofit offering barrier-free housing solutions for service-connected disabled and aging veterans.
Roofing materials for the project were supplied by the Owens Corning Foundation, and Starway Roof Systems donated the labor.
Launched in 2016, the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project is a nationwide initiative that provides new roofs to veterans and their families as a show of gratitude for their service. More than 750 military members have received roofs through the program.
With a new roof beyond their financial means, the retired couple turned to the Centre County Veterans Affairs Office for support.
Director Brian Querry connected them to the right resources, and the Sharpes were approved by the project coordinators to receive the roof.
"We're just so blessed and grateful, and Tom feels so honored," said Cheryl Sharpe, 75.
Her husband, Thomas, a Vietnam-era veteran who was once stationed in Korea, is a man of few words, but he agreed they feel very fortunate to have been given the gift of a sturdy roof ahead of the cold winter season.
"It is very honoring that they would consider us," said Private First Class Sharpe, 71.
Cheryl, who works as a substitute at Penns Valley Area School District to help supplement their retirement income, was thrilled with the work being done and grateful that the company shares their faith.
"I like that they are faith-based and have a lot of good reviews," she added of Starway Roof Systems. "We're so grateful."