WEST MILFORD – They say when it rains, it pours. For Gwendolyn Bernat, the adage could not be more appropriate.
Bernat, a 56-year-old mother of three, survived a near fatal bout with sepsis following a diagnosis of bi-lateral breast cancer about five years ago. The battle to save her life and the resulting fallout have been hard physically and financially, she said, so much so that the figurative hole in her pocket became a literal hole in her roof.
“It was literally pouring in my house on Saturday,” she said, referencing that afternoon’s downpour.
Gwendolyn Bernat of West Milford talks about the circumstances that led to Roof4Roof of Carlstadt offering her a free roof repair on July 3. David Zimmer/NorthJersey.com
Things were different early Monday afternoon, however. There was not a raincloud in sight and three men were replacing part of the Bernats’ roof. It was the part that had been leaking for months, soaking her mudroom and rendering her electric washer and dryer useless during and after rainstorms.
Bernat’s insurance company denied coverage on the basis it was a wear and tear issue, she said. At 7:30 Monday morning, however, the president and founder of Roof4Roof called to say they were coming by to fix her roof for free. The tarp came off soon after. The Samaritan Inn, a nonprofit that provides emergency food and shelter to homeless families in the county, now has a brand new roof!
With the help of a $10,000 grant and an additional $10,000 raised from the community, as well as the low bid from residential and commercial roofing company Roof4Roof in Carlstadt, Samaritan Inn was able to remove their steeple and replace their roof.
“It was amazing someone was willing to do it for only $20,000,” Metzger said. The Samaritan Inn, a nonprofit that provides emergency food and shelter to homeless families in the county, now has a brand new roof!
With the help of a $10,000 grant and an additional $10,000 raised from the community, as well as the low bid from residential and commercial roofing company Roof4Roof in Carlstadt, Samaritan Inn was able to remove their steeple and replace their roof.
“It was amazing someone was willing to do it for only $20,000,” Metzger said. Our company focus is on supplying emergency roofing repair to those in need and proceeds from each of their projects goes back to those in the community.
“They were willing to give back to the community at discounted rate, it was just amazing,” Metzger said.
Contractors on Monday began work on the roof, which required them to first remove the steeple and the bell tower, and completed the project on Wednesday.
Metzger said the building was built in the 1800s so the steeple and bell tower were constructed using heavy beams and planks, the “norm” for this era, requiring a lot of heavy lifting.
Now with a new roof, Metzger can focus on other issues or concerns that have come up at the Samaritan Inn.
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