COOPERSVILLE, Mich. — For years, Army veteran Eric Stedman knew the roof over his family’s Coopersville home needed to be replaced. But with other priorities and the cost of a full replacement, it was a project his family simply couldn’t take on all at once.
That changed when Stedman learned his family would be receiving a new roof for free.
Stedman and his family bought his wife’s childhood home a couple of years ago. He said the roof had not been replaced in roughly 30 to 40 years and was in bad shape.
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Once crews began removing the old shingles, they found water damage and rotting wood underneath.
Without the free replacement, Stedman said he likely would have spent the next few years making repairs as he could afford them.
His mother-in-law, however, had entered his name for a free roof through Dynasty Exteriors.
Owner Joe Rayberry said the company narrowed the applicants down to a handful of people but kept coming back to Stedman’s story.
Stedman served eight years in the Army and completed two tours. Rayberry said his service to his family, community and country helped make the decision an easy one.
When Stedman first learned he had been selected, he said he had trouble believing the news was real.
That changed when the materials arrived and crews got to work.
The project included removing the aging roof, replacing damaged plywood and addressing gutter issues.
For Stedman, the new roof means his family no longer has to worry about making repairs little by little or wondering when the next problem might surface.
He described having the entire roof replaced as a huge blessing and said it lifted a major weight off his family’s shoulders.
After an uncertain couple of years, Stedman said the experience also served as a reminder that veterans and their service are not forgotten.
Now, instead of worrying about how he will keep patching an aging roof, Stedman and his family have one less thing to worry about.
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