Lancaster, PA – He’s made a career out of giving back to his country and his community, and now, The Exterior Company wants to do something for the Vietnam veteran and local high school basketball coach in return. Kenneth Gerber is a U.S. soldier who did several tours in the Army, most notably in South Vietnam. He currently lives in Lancaster County with his wife, Diane, at a home they’ve shared for thirty-seven years. It’s a home that has never had a roof replacement, until now. Kenneth is the recipient of TEC’s first-ever Under One Roof initiative which provides a free roof to a much-deserving family in the community. As part of the annual campaign, The Exterior Company is committed to installing one free roof for every one-thousand roof installs.
Brad Gillis, the project manager at TEC who is heading up the effort, is a veteran himself. When it came time for nominations for the first roof giveaway, he immediately thought of a man well-known in the community—Kenneth Gerber. “I’ve known him since I was in elementary school. He was a basketball coach then and still is today. Through the years he has coached kids of all ages in both the Hempfield School District, and now, in the Penn Manor School District where he instructs the boy’s ninth-grade varsity team.”
Last week, Brad Gillis shared the news with Kenneth, that TEC would like to give him and his family a new roof through the Under One Roof initiative and in conjunction with Veterans Day. “I’m overwhelmed. I never expected anything like this. I’m just an ordinary guy who was lucky enough to serve his country,” Kenneth said.
The big build will be on Veterans Day, November 11 th, and will include a special team assembled within The Exterior Company, which consists of veterans. Together, they will put into place, a much-needed new roof over Kenneth’s head. “It’s going to be such a great day. I can’t think of a better way to honor a veteran than to have fellow veterans putting in the work to take care of their own,” says Brad Gillis. “This year we focused on a veteran, but we see our Under One Roof initiative taking off, impacting so many deserving families in our community. The best part—every one of our customers can know they have taken part in something big, and that their business reaches beyond our company and contributes to a meaningful cause within their community.”