Cenvar Roofing Replaces A Roof For A Family In The Lynchburg Community
Eugene and Carolyn King have owned their home just outside of Lynchburg, VA, for 21 years. They love the home and the area and feel fortunate to be in a place where they have stability. In 2017, however, their roof reached the end of its lifespan and started leaking in several places throughout the house. Eugene (76) and Carolyn (74) were both retired at this time and didn’t have the money for a new roof right away.
Instead, Eugene tried to fix the problem himself by climbing onto the roof and patching the leaks with some extra shingles. Unfortunately, the leaks got worse, and Eugene wasn’t able to continue climbing on top of the roof to patch them due to the health issues he deals with.
That same year, Eugene and Carolyn were asked by Virginia Social Services if they would be willing to raise their two great-grandchildren.
The children were in elementary school at the time, and both of their parents were dealing with addiction and were in and out of jail.
The Kings immediately said yes and opened their home. After this, Carolyn had to return to work as a part-time nurse for the Amherst county jail to make sure they had enough money to make ends meet. They say they wouldn’t change anything about their decision, but it was hard. The childrens’ needs were their priority, so there just wasn’t extra money for a new roof.
Cenvar Gives 2020 Nomination
In March 2020, our team helped sponsor a giveaway for a new roof. The Kings’ next-door neighbors nominated them because they felt they truly deserved a gift from the community. Unfortunately, the King family was not voted the recipient, and Eugene went back to patching the leaks with shingles and hoping for the best as the roof continued to deteriorate. However, the King family made a distinct impression on Holton Walker, the General Manager of the Lynchburg branch of Cenvar Roofing, and he thought of them often. Every time he drove past their house, he noticed how clearly they needed a new roof.
2021
Every year, a percentage of each branch’s profit is allocated to fund the Cenvar Roofing Giving Back initiative. This initiative allows Cenvar to partner with local organizations that look to give back to their communities.In March 2021, the neighbors who nominated the King family needed a new roof on their home, and called Cenvar Roofing. When Holton drove out to the home to assess the project, he saw the opportunity meet a need in his community by using some of the Giving Back funds to replace the King family’s roof free of charge.
“They were a family that really resonated with me and with some other people in the branch,” said Holton. “It had been weighing on my mind often.”
When she found out about Holton’s offer, Carolyn was ecstatic: “it was a total, beautiful surprise,” said Carolyn, “the roof was in such terrible shape, it really was a miracle to us.” Holton was honored to be able to meet a need in his community in such a tangible way. Growing up, he had some friends who were raised by their grandparents and he had seen firsthand the huge impact that grandparents can have in a child’s life. He strongly admired the way Eugene and Carolyn were working so hard to provide stability to their great-grandchildren and was glad to help them.
“This was a family that needed some help and was struggling with their roof, and I saw it as a practical way for us to give back to someone in the community,” said Holton.
“We came to the decision as a branch that we wanted to go ahead and do it, so we did.”When the day of the roof replacement arrived, Eugene and Carolyn were thrilled.
Carolyn said that the crew was wonderfully polite, very punctual, and communicated well throughout the entire process. This was a pleasant surprise to her. “You can’t beat this company,” said Carolyn.
“They are the greatest I’ve ever worked with, they worked until they got it finished and they did a fantastic job.” Holton was grateful he had the opportunity to help the King family, and when the project was done, he said it was incredibly fulfilling.
“It’s awesome to be part of a group that wants to give back to the community in practical ways - it’s not always that common. To be part of a company that wants to give back to people in need is something that I wanted in my life,” said Holton. “I feel fulfillment more in my life when I’m serving others and have the opportunity to give back, and [Cenvar Roofing] has allowed me to do just that.”
