Roof Deployment Project returns to Lorain County to help Elyria Vietnam veteran

ELYRIA — On rainy days, water would collect and leak through Elyria resident Dexter Gray Jr.'s roof, eventually making its way into the basement and spilling onto the breaker box. That won't be a problem anymore for the U.S. Army veteran after he received a complimentary roof replacement as part of the Owens Corning National Roof Deployment Project for those who have served. "I'm blessed," he said Tuesday morning while watching workers install shingles atop his house. The labor for the job was provided by Franciscus Inc., a Westlake-based roofing contractor. Owens Corning contributed the roofing materials. "We feel that we've been blessed with a strong company, so we want to give back as much as we can, when it allows," said Franciscus Inc. part-owner Tom Schlund. Learning about people's needs through the company's charity work is a humbling experience for him, he said. Gray has resided in his West River Road South home since marrying in 2003. His wife, Ollie, had lived there since 1990. It's a nice place to live, Gray said, but the home has had its fair share of problems through the years. He learned about the Roof Deployment Project after going to the VA outpatient clinic, where he was referred to a veterans service organization that in turn directed him to Purple Heart Homes, which partners with Owens Corning on the roofing project. Now that the roof problem is out of the way, Gray has a checklist of other tasks that need addressed, such as power washing and painting. Last fall, he said he did some work around the porch and repaired a door on the shed. Work on the roof started at 9 a.m. Tuesday and wrapped up by midafternoon. More than 300 veterans across the country have had their roofs replaced by the Owens Corning National Roof Deployment Project since it was started. "This house has got a lot wrong with it, but as soon as these guys leave, it will be a whole lot better," Gray said of the roofers. He served in the Army from 1967 to 1969, working on helicopter maintenance and repair in Vietnam. The U.S. military used Bell "Huey" helicopters at that time, he said. Veterans who think they may be eligible for assistance can seek help from Purple Heart Homes online at purplehearthomesusa.org/apply. The local chapter is also on Facebook. The national organization can be reached by phone at (704) 838-4044. Franciscus Incorporated also provides a few free roofs for veterans each year, Schlund said. He said people can apply for themselves or others by submitting an essay explaining why they need the work by email to tom@1866staydry.com. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.