GAF employees volunteer for Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity to build home for local family

GAF employees join Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity to build a new home for a local family.

What: Local team members at GAF, North America’s largest roofing manufacturer, joined forces with Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity on Thursday, May 2 to help build a new home for a local family. More than a dozen veterans from GAF’s Burgaw facility arrived on site early Thursday morning with enthusiasm and determination to help Habitat staff construct trusses to support the roof of a new home for Laitful, a local mother of two.

Latiful, a Dental Assistant, earned an Associate of Applied Sciences degree and hopes to go back to school for a Dental Hygiene license in the future. She learned about the homeownership program through her sister, who purchased a home with Habitat 10 years ago, and applied because she desired the stability that homeownership can provide for her family. She’s most excited about having a backyard for her children to play, as well as the feeling of permanence in a place to call her own where she can create lasting memories of home.

GAF employees, hailing from diverse backgrounds and experiences, including service in the Army, Air Force and Marines, and have dedicated anywhere from 5 months to 22 years to GAF, came together to support the project. These volunteers are part of Veteran Involvement Brings Excellence (VIBE), an employee resource group at GAF that is driven by veteran employees from across the country dedicated to making an impact on local communities and within GAF. 

“Organizing the volunteer opportunity provided a great opportunity to harness the unique skills and camaraderie of our veteran employees,” said David Inman, Senior HR Partner at GAF and retired Marine. “It's inspiring to see how their dedication to service continues to positively impact our community, and I’m proud to be a part of it."

Steve Boehling, General Manager at GAF’s Burgaw facility, also assisted in the build. “As a team, we love to volunteer with Habitat and support the community in which we live and work,” he said. “As a company, we value the opportunity to give back, but I was personally moved to volunteer alongside veteran employees in honor of my father who volunteered and served in the United States Marine Corps in WWII. His dedication to our country inspires me to contribute to causes that make a tangible difference in people's lives.”

Construction on the build is expected to be complete in November and Laitful should be closing on her new home by the end of the year. 

GAF’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity is part of GAF’s social impact initiative, GAF Community Matters, which is focused on making a positive difference as neighbors and partners in the community by leveraging roofing expertise, resources and products to help build resilient communities.

For more information about how to participate in helping build homes, communities and hope, contact Lauren Masters at devcoord@capefearhabitat.org or call 910-762-4744 x103. 

About Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity

Founded in 1987 as an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, Cape Fear Habitat has served 393 hard-working families in Pender, Duplin and New Hanover Counties. Habitat families invest 250 to 400 hours in the homeownership program, participating in financial counseling, volunteering at ReStores and taking hands-on home maintenance classes. They also work on site to build their own homes and the homes of other Habitat families. After completing the 12- to 18-month program, participants pay a low-interest mortgage which goes to fund the homes of other deserving families. With staff and the involvement of hundreds of individual, corporate and faith volunteers, Cape Fear Habitat builds 16-18 homes each year. Begun in response to Hurricane Florence, Cape Fear Habitat now provides critical home repair through its Home Repair Program. Through this program, Cape Fear Habitat helps preserve the value of owner-occupied homes promoting wealth creation for lower-income families in New Hanover, Pender, and Duplin counties. The affiliate also manages three ReStore locations in Wilmington that sell new and gently used household goods, furniture and remodeling supplies generating enough income to offset all administrative costs for the organization. 

About GAF

GAF, a Standard Industries company, is North America’s largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer. For more than 130 years, GAF has been trusted to protect what matters most for families, communities and business owners with its innovative solutions and focus on customer service.

GAF's leadership extends to its commitment to making a positive social impact in the communities it serves. Through the GAF Community Matters initiative, GAF leverages its expertise, resources, and products to help build resilient, thriving and sustainable communities of the future. For more information about GAF, please visit www.gaf.com/communitymatters.