Hermitage man thanks God for roof over his head -- a wonderful, new, donated roof
Aug. 8—HERMITAGE — After a crew removed grungy shingles the roof of Carl's home, he couldn't believe the huge holes in the wood.
"I had no ideas holes were in the roof," the Hermitage resident said.
Carl, 73, who declined to give his last name, watched as nine employees from Ozinga Roof Systems toiled in the hot Saturday sun to replace the roof. The employees, and John Ozinga, owner of the Sharpsville business, volunteered their time for the work.
Living alone with a bad knee and a long list of other ailments, the Mercer Forge retiree didn't have the strength or the funds for the job. His parents built the Longview Road house just before he was born, and he has lived there since.
"I could never have done this work myself," Carl said.
One of his neighbors saw the roof was in desperate need of repair and contacted Ozinga for help.
"I was moved by God," Ozinga said. "When I heard how in the past he use to fix people's car for free, I knew I had to do something for him."
Other donations poured in for the shingles, wood and a dumpster.
The roof was in pitiful shape. Not only did it have holes, much of it sagged. It hadn't been replaced since 1972.
"It breaks your heart to see something fall apart in front of your eyes," Ozinga said.
In all, around $15,000 was donated in materials and labor to give Carl a free roof.
"I'm so very thankful to God and these people for their work," he said.
