Longwood neighbors, businesses rally to put new roof on home

1976 home damaged during Hurricane Irma last year

LONGWOOD, Fla. – Alan Aden and his wife have lived in their Longwood home since 1976, and if Hurricane Irma hadn't come through Central Florida, they might have tried to sell it.

Unfortunately, the Category 4 storm damaged their already weathered roof.

"I was kind of a hopeless case," Aden said. 
    
Aden's deductible was more than $14,000, almost the cost of a new roof in itself. 
    
When that wasn't an option, he tried another route.

"I tried to refinance and of course, I got caught in a loop," Aden said. 

He couldn't refinance without having an appraisal for a roof and he couldn't get that without a new roof. 

When his friend of close to a decade, David Kirkpatrick, heard about his troubles, he stepped in to help. 

"I knew the supply community and the community at large that supplies materials and I just simply went and asked," Kirkpatrick said. 

Kirkpatrick has long worked in the construction industry and has some connections he knew could help and his efforts paid off.

The Human Crisis Center donated materials along with ABC Roofing Supply and Buck Lumber. Collis Roofing offered labor. All of the donations and labor came at no cost to the couple.

"At the end of the day, you've got certain human obligations to you know everyday people who need help sometimes. That's part of the community. We have to help people in need that need some help at times," Andrew Mosher, with Collis Roofing, said. 

Kirkpatrick said at no point in time did any company or person hesitate or say no.

Instead, they first asked, 'How do we help?'" 

"It's hard to find people like that," Aden said. 


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