Local Roofing Company Rallies Together for Retired Veteran

By R.Y. Cruz. 

Retired Lieutenant Colonel was lent a helping hand by a local roofing company upon hearing of his home’s fate. 

Jim Rafferty is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from Port Charlotte, Florida. Retiring to the warm sun of coastal Florida sounds like a dream, right? Unfortunately, it’s not always sunny days and blissful waters. Hurricane Ian claimed destruction all along the eastern coast and many cities and states felt the blow.  

Jim was first seen on Fox 4 News talking about the damages his home endured. His roof tarp being destroyed, allowed water to continuously enter the house damaging walls, furniture and other household items. Upon viewing the clip, Marshall Adams, owner of Epic Roofing Company, knew they had to do something to help. Being located in Charlotte County themselves, Epic Roofing was able to have the materials delivered and recruit a crew to work on Jim’s new roof. 

There seemed to be one problem though: obtaining a permit. Originally, Jim was told that to obtain a permit would take months. That would mean he would have to suffer the winter seasons in the cold and dampness of his home. Epic Roofing pushed for the permit to be expedited. What would have taken months, took no longer than a week, thanks to the crew and management at Epic Roofing. "We had them expedite the permit process and got the permit pulled today and have the inspection set up for tomorrow,” Marshall said. This ensured Jim wouldn’t have any issues moving forward with his housework. 

Jim was in disbelief. “It didn’t seem possible,” he said. Through hard work and teamwork, the local roofing company was able to change a retired veteran’s living situation for the better. And although there is still work to finish, Jim has an enthusiastic outlook towards the future,  stating that he “can go to work to get these walls back and get some furniture back and start living again." 

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About Yvette 

Yvette Cruz is a writer for RoofersCoffeeShop, MetalCoffeeShop and AskARoofer. She is also a dedicated background actor for various film projects. Besides work, she spends her time with her family, reading and cooking.   

Photo source: Fox 4 News