SOUTH PARK TOWNSHIP, Pa. —
Crews worked from sunup to sundown on Tuesday to replace the roof for one veteran in Allegheny County.
“Completely shocked, overwhelmed, very humbling,” Navy veteran Seybert said.
Seybert said he was not sure if the offer was real.
“Skeptical at first. Honestly very skeptical. We were like, yeah, there’s people out there that we’re gonna do this for you free. And next thing you know, they’re on the roof, and you have a whole bunch of money,” Seybert said.
How the Replacement Came to Be
The Roofs for the Red, White and Blue program through Burns and Scalo Roofing selects one veteran to receive a new roof as a way to thank them for their service.
“Our president always says we provide one of the three basic needs for a living: food, shelter, and water. We provide the shelter. So that’s our best way of giving back — a free roof, completely free of charge,” said Julianna Everly of Burns and Scalo Roofing.
Seybert said injuries he sustained while serving as a firefighter on an ammunition ship had caught up to him, making the new roof a huge relief.
“It needed it bad. It definitely needed replaced. So probably 30-plus years old,” Seybert said.
“It means a lot to us to be able to get out, meet the veteran Mike in this instance, and his family. It’s just very special to us because we can see how special it is to them,” Everly said.
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Seybert said he is already looking to pay it forward.
“I hope there’s a lucky veteran next year. Anything that I can do to help that process, I’m here for them,” Seybert said.
Officials with Burns and Scalo Roofing said the roof will be completed by the end of the day, and the program will move on to the next veteran.