Sean C. Morgan
Mary Carter of Sweet Home was one of two recipients of new roofs provided by Stutzman and Kropf Contractors, Inc., of Albany this year.
Carter, who lives in the 200 block of 9th Avenue, received her roof on May 25.
“They had a little contest in the Albany Democrat-Herald,” Carter said. “My neighbor saw it, and she gave it to my daughter.”
Two of her daughters nominated her for the free roof.
“They did a beautiful job,” Carter said. “It doesn’t even look like the same place.”
“This is our fourth year of doing what we consider giving back to the community,” said Eugene Horvath, vice president and partner in Stutzman and Kropf.
For the past four years, the company has given away a new roof, he said. Recipients are nominated by others with a letter of 200 words or less.
The recipients must be contributors to the community but lack the resources to replace damaged roofs, Horvath said. Their roofs must be leaky and in need of immediate repair.
The letters are reviewed by a panel from Stutzman and Kropf, the Albany Democrat-Herald and Roof Line Supply and Delivery.
All of the roof materials are manufactured in Oregon, Horvath said. Shingles are donated by Certainteed Manufacturing.
This year, Stutzman and Kropf expanded the giveaway to two roofs. The company completed the first roof in Albany a week earlier. On May 25, Stutzman and Kropf trucks and employees rolled up to Carter’s door just about 7 a.m. and completed Carter’s roof and hosted a barbecue just after noon.
The panel selected Carter, a mother of five, grandmother of 17, great-grandmother of 33 and great-great-grandmother of two from 130 nominations from Florence to Eugene and Newport to Sweet Home, Horvath said. There were six finalists. The panel interviewed the finalists before awarding roofs to two.
Carter’s roof had four active leaks, with bad dry rot in the house, Horvath said.
Her husband died in 2005, Horvath said, and she used the last of the cash she had available afterward to buy materials to replace her roof. Her family installed the new roof, but the roof didn’t hold up and started leaking.
Carter is active in her church, and based on information from her neighbors, she has taken in people who need help, Horvath said.
Carter said she attends the Full Gospel Church of Sweet Home.
“The Lord has just absolutely blessed me in so many ways,” Carter said, and she also thanked Stutzman and Kropf.