Owens Corning Project Provides 87-Year-Old Ohio Veteran with New Roof: ‘I Really Appreciate This’

An 87-year-old Air Force veteran who has been living under a compromised roof received a new one free of charge on Friday.

Veteran Donald Bylow of Perrysburg Township was worried about how he was going to come up with the funds to fix his roof when it started leaking, according to the Toledo Blade. 

“We thought we were going to have to try to pay for it, and that’s almost impossible, right now,” he said.

The veteran, who served in the Air Force from 1952-1956, received a helping hand from the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project on Friday, WNWO reports. Owens Corning works with its “Platinum Preferred Contractors with military families around the country to deliver and install a free, new roof,” according to Owens Corning’s website. 

Since the project began in 2016, it has provided over 325 military families and veterans with new roofs, the Toledo Blade reports: 

Habitat for Humanity is also a partner in the program, and Mark Ohashi, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Wood County, said the local organization connected Mr. Bylow with Owens Corning for a replacement roof.

Bylow was selected through Habitat for Humanity’s home repair program, according to a Facebook post from the organization’s Wood County account.

“There’s no bigger need than to have a solid roof over your head,” Ohashi said. 

Workers with Seagate Roofing and Foundation Services worked Friday to replace Bylow’s roof and the wood that was rotting underneath to be sure that no mold issues arise in the future.

“We’re going to do this job to code and above to make certain it never leaks again,” said Steve Naylor, vice president of Seagate Roofing and Foundation Services, per the Toledo Blade. He added the effort would take one day. 

“We are humbled and honored to be able to help out,” he said.

Bylow was very thankful for all involved in the effort. 

“I really appreciate this. I couldn’t have done it,” Bylow said, according to WNWO. “Right now at my age, I don’t have that much saved up and they’re really doing a good job for me.”