By Jason A. Smith

Times Correspondent

  Carolyn Emmons of Hampton said she and her husband of 55 years are grateful for a program geared toward improving homes for military veterans.

  “We are truly blessed,” said Carolyn Emmons. “This means that we are going to be able to stay in our home without having to worry about whether the roof is going to come in on top of us.”

  Charles and Carolyn Emmons received a new roof October 8 through the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project. Owens Corning donated roofing materials for the endeavor, and Total Roof Solutions, an Owens Corning roofing contractor in McDon- ough, donated the labor.

  Charles Emmons was 17 when he went into the Army and served in Korea. He was a corporal when his service ended. His wife now acts as a caregiver for the 85-year-old veteran.

  Carolyn Emmons said she saw an advertisement on TV 18 months ago regarding Owens Corning’s roof program for veterans. She said issues were mounting, at that time, with the roof of her home, which was built it in 2003 and still had its original roof.

  “I began to find pieces of roofing in the yard about 18 months ago,” said Carolyn Emmons. “I had called some roofing companies to find out how much it would be, and their prices were astronomical and out of sight.”

  Taking note of leaks developing around the chimney of her manufactured home, she called the TV station about the  veterans program. She was then referred to Purple Heart Homes Inc., a nonprofit organization that improves homes for disabled and elderly veterans.

  “I wasn’t sure we would qualify,” said Carolyn Emmons.

    “I didn’t hear anything for the longest time.”

  She said although some companies don’t repair roofs for manufactured homes, she is “persistent,” particularly when her husband’s well-being is at stake.

  “I know that if you don’t advocate, it’s not going to happen,” she said.

  The Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project, launched in 2016, is a nationwide effort honoring veterans and their families. More than 225 military members have received new roofs since the inception of the program.

  Recently, said Carolyn Emmons, Purple Heart Homes called her and asked if they still needed a roof. A representative from the contractor came to the house, and examined the roof with the help of a drone.

  On October 8, a crew was at their home and unloaded their trucks to complete the project.

  Carolyn Emmons said at the same time the project was about to begin, she had a health scare of her own, including a nosebleed. She ended up in the emergency room at Piedmont Henry Hospital.

  However, shortly after her condition improved, she discovered her home was on the road to recovery as well.

  “When I came home, my street was covered in pickup trucks of all the workers,” said Carolyn Emmons. “It was completed by 4 o’clock in the afternoon. They were just really terrific. It took them one day to do it.”

  Carolyn Emmons said she “can’t put into words” how much she and her husband appreciate the effort that Total Roof Solutions put into the project.

  “You could tell, watching the crew, that they knew what they were doing,” she said. “They did their job, and it is absolutely beautiful. It’s a great feeling to go to bed at night knowing everything’s going to be okay, and it’s all because of these people.

  Emmons said other military veterans could benefit from the Owens Corning program.

  “I wish a lot of other veterans knew about Purple Heart, and the possibility they could be of assistance for whatever problem they were having at home,” she said.