EDDINGTON, Maine — For years, Navy veteran Dale Harmon's roof had been leaking and missing tiles, causing damage to his home.
"I have two ceilings in there that are ruined," Harmon said.
After recent rainstorms reminded him of these leaks, he knew he had to get his roof replaced and sought out to get some bids.
But after finding out how much it was going to cost compared to the $5,000 insurance would cover, Harmon's options seemed limited.
"Their bids were $10,000, so I didn't think I could get it done for $5,000. The other two bidders never got anywhere near that," Harmon said.
Unbeknownst to him, though, members of the Eddington community noticed his situation and realized he could use some help.
Community members nominated him to be gifted a new roof through the Roofs for Heroes project, a partnership between the Maine Veterans Project, GAF, and Smith Builders Roofing.
"This is our second year doing it, and it's really just to give back to those who served our country and provide a much-needed service and help in any way we can," Josh Devou, the marketing and media manager for Smith Builders Roofing, said.
Harmon's daughter was the first to let him know about his gift, and on Monday he was greeted by a crew from Smith Builders supplied with materials donated by GAF ready to install his new roof.
"We're going to be taking off all the old existing stuff and checking out all the deck boards, going through making sure it's nice and solid," Foreman Zac Yeo said.
President of the Maine Veterans Project Doc Goodwin was also in attendance and explained how the partnership aims to give veterans more than just a roof.
"This partnership really brings hope and it brings a semblance of happiness into a veteran's life that otherwise would not be able to get this. A leaking roof can lead to a myriad of problems that will cost and supersede way more than the roof ever could. So, getting on this before that happens, getting on this before there's a catastrophic leak," Goodwin said.
After hours of lifting, scraping, and hammering, Harmon was left with a new roof.
"I never, never would've dreamed it," Harmon said.
Roofs for Heroes will be gifting roofs to three more veterans throughout 2024.