UHRICHSVILLE (Tusco TV) - Two companies and a trade association are teaming up to give a 69-year-old Army veteran some peace of mind by fixing up his Twin City home.

Uhrichsville native Chuck Fox is getting his roof replaced for free this week courtesy of the Gary Sinise Foundation’s RISE program, short for Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment. Fox says he knew the roof was in bad shape but he couldn’t afford to repair it.

"It’s awesome. I could have never because in my bedroom it had rained one night and the ceiling fell in. We had a guy come and supposedly do it, and he didn’t do it right," he says.  

Absolute Roofing & Construction owner Chris Kamis says Owens Corning donated the material for the project while his company and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry's Greater Cleveland Chapter provided the manpower. He says when Owens Corning officials approached him about the project, he immediately agreed to help out. 

"Mr. Fox is a Vietnam veteran. He had this roof replaced a few years ago, and it was done very poorly, and because of that, it needed to be replaced again. I came down here a few months ago and spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Fox on the front porch and I was immediately smitten with what needed to be done, and I said this has to be taken care of, and so we agreed to take care of it," he says.        

Association Executive Director Kathy Masterson says they project is an extension of their NARI Cares program that supports member organizations in their charitable endeavors. She says she enjoys watching these good deeds unfold, especially when it’s for one of our nation’s heroes.

"So I always love seeing this kind of stuff because being the executive director in an organization full of contractors, you don’t always get to see what they do every single day, and I especially love seeing them doing things that give something to somebody in need, and especially a veteran because who does so much for our country," she says. "We all get to do what we get to do in life because of people who have given so much for us."

Fox says the same foundation helped him out in the past by remodeling his bathroom. 

"Two guys did it, and they doubled the size of it, put a shower in it for us, a big shower, a stackable washer and dryer, new sink, new plumbing, new toilet, a vanity for my wife to do her hair and stuff on. This foundation is awesome," he says.

Owens Corning has provided new roofs to more than 140 military members nationwide since 2016 through their National Roof Deployment Project.  

STACEY CARMANY, TUSCO TV