Charity to Partnership by Dan R.

I cringed when I was handed the “major roof repair” job this morning. I just don’t like roofing: the asphalt and fiberglass dust, hoisting hundreds of pounds of shingles up a ladder, trying to align sheets of plywood while straddling rafters… But I don’t work at CHRPA because I love grit in my teeth and sweat in my eyes. I work at CHRPA because it is a daily reminder of my own fortune, of how quickly fortunes can change, and of how people, even in the hardest times, can still be gracious and generous.

Our elderly client, Silvia, had been an administrative assistant. Her son, Daniel, lives next door and used to work as a pipe fitter. Both were laid off five years ago. Daniel has held some temporary jobs and Silvia has enrolled in a job training program, but when her roof started leaking they were short on options. Daniel tried to patch the trouble spots, to no avail. Silvia needs an extensive repair. But the roof, once we tear into it, is worse that I had feared. Never mind needing five sheets of plywood—we need thirteen. Never mind stuffing the old roofing into the back of our van—we need a dump truck. In truth, the whole roof really needs to be replaced, a costly job that will strain our budget and, more importantly, limit how much we can provide to other homeowners.

And then Daniel drops a surprise. “I’ve been thinking,” he says, “that if you can pay for the new plywood, I can get some discounted materials from the place I used to work. Then you wouldn’t have to buy shingles, right?” I prod a bit, knowing that their money is tight and roof work is hard, but he’s committed. His brother will help chip in. He needs some help getting started, but he’d like to do the work.

In two sentences, Daniel has not just turned my day around, he’s turned the project from charity to partnership. Between our know-how, his labor, and his brother’s financial help, Silvia will have a safe and dry house this summer. And to think I was anxious about this job.