WATERFORD, Mich. – Just because there’s a pandemic, that doesn’t mean people aren’t helping those in needs.
That includes a local roofing company and a supplier who reached out to a Waterford veteran in a special way.
Glen Mercure is a 68-year-old Marine veteran on Social Security. Like many seniors, he knows about bills piling up. You try and tackle them and then the roof starts leaking. It happened here and the worries started -- and you are looking at worries being swept away in a most charitable fashion.
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A crew of workers from Roof One descended on Mercure’s house bright and early Thursday in the hot July sun.
It all started a few months ago, when Mercure’s saw Roof One’s owner, Steve McCusker, working in the neighborhood and asked him for an estimate. It wasn’t something he could afford and McCusker knew it. After talking for a while, Mecure’s service in Vietnam came up.
McCusker knew about Owens Corning’s Roof Deployment Project -- a national program that aims to put new roofs over military family’s heads for free -- and reached out. It took some paperwork, but Mercure proved illegible.
When the crew got to Mercure’s house, it needed a full new deck, new dormers, siding and the job more than doubled in price -- but it wasn’t a problem.
Mercure said he couldn’t believe it.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Mercure said. “It’s just something you don’t expect.”
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“They gave all to us and for us,” McCusker said. “To give back something as simple as a free roof, it really means a lot to me.”
Mercure, who works part time repairing small engines, said he’s looking for a way to pay this forward. He thinks he’s going to be doing a lot of small engine repair in the days ahead.
Owens Corning has about six projects over the next few months in Metro Detroit. A project in Inkster is expected to start Friday.