Military family receives much needed home repair in Willow Grove

WILLOW GROVE, Pa. (WPVI) -- A family in Willow Grove who has long been known for giving of itself to others, specifically members of the service and veterans, receives some much needed help.

A new roof to top their Willow Grove home, a gift they appreciate from the bottom of their hearts

"This is like a gift from god for us," said Patty Lewis.

Lewis, the founder of America 4R Veterans, has helped thousands of service members and veterans for more than a decade. Her son is a Marine veteran, with past tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"My son was on his third deployment in four years- and I knew what kind of support the guys needed- and what they needed," said Lewis.

Now it's her family who needs help, even though she explains she'd much rather be giving it. It all started when her husband lost his job in 2008.

"I know people that went through this with the recession, but at our age to be still going through it now...," she said. "Because the repercussions of what we had to do to stay alive- we've used everything."

First, Patty was diagnosed with non-cancerous brain tumors, then, this past year, her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Through it all she has still given back, now working with veterans with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.

Their roof has been leaking for seven years but they haven't had the means to fix it. That's where the Owens Corning National Roof Deployment Project comes in.

"A roof pretty much protects your entire house," said Dan Nolasco of Owens Corning. "But if you have a roof that's leaking, it affects your whole house."

Owens Corning partners with Habitat for Humanity to provide new roofs to veterans, like Patty's son Brian who also lives here. Owens Corning is providing the materials, their contractor Mark J. Fisher Roofing, the labor, and this $15,000 plus project is free for the family.

----------

Send a breaking news alert
Report a correction or typo
Learn more about the 6abc apps