White Oak Navy veteran receives free roof through Owens Corning program

The Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project started in 2016 and has helped more than 800 veterans in nearly every state.

A White Oak veteran who served his country for 20 years was shown gratitude in the form of a major home improvement project for his years giving back to others.

Area roofers braved the Mon Valley’s heatwave Wednesday morning in support of U.S. Navy veteran Mark Pudlowski, who received a free new roof on the home he shares with his wife, Susan.

Mark and his wife watched in awe Wednesday as the crew began installing the new roof on their Daren Court home. The roof was courtesy of JP Roofing & Metal Buildings Inc., an Owens Corning Platinum Roofing Contractor, as part of the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project.

“I’m just shocked,” Mark said. “Seeing this is an absolute blessing. Boy, what they all did for us. Being Gold Star parents, that’s so tough for some people. You have no idea how appreciative we are.”

The Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project is a nationwide effort to show gratitude and honor the veterans who served our country and the families who support them. Since the inception of this program in 2016, more than 800 military members have received new roofs.

With over 43 years of experience serving Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas, JP Roofing & Metal Buildings Inc. does roofing, gutter, metal building and siding projects.

President and CEO of JP Roofing Joe Potocnik said his company provides the man power, and area sales manager Al Yoklic said Owens Corning provides the materials that are platinum preferred.

The Pudlowskis will get a lifetime warranty, and the workers are trained to install the roof to Owens Corning specifications. They get inspections done as well.

Through a partnership with Purple Heart Homes, Pudlowski was selected and approved as the recipient for the roof replacement. The Pudlowskis got new shingles, new gutters and a new roof all together.

According to Purple Heart Homes’ website, they try to build awareness, mobilize communities, and create safe housing solutions for our service- connected disabled veterans of all eras. Yoklic said there have been at least 30 homes done in the Pittsburgh area, and Purple Heart Homes does the selection process. Potocnik said his company has been a partner for four years, and they have done over 20 homes.

“Purple Heart Homes builds houses for veterans, disabled veterans throughout the country,” Potocnik said. “84 Lumber would donate, big builders would donate. Owens Corning has the Roof Development project, where they want to give away a free roof, and it’s on us contractors to take advantage of it, and help our veterans out.”

Mark served in the Navy from 1976 to 1994 on various small boats, also called “tin cans” or destroyers, of 200 to 300 people. He was stationed at several places, including Norfolk, Va., Philadelphia and Texas. He was also a commercial fisherman in Alaska.

According to the Pudlowskis, they are a big military family. Their oldest son, Joseph, who died in 2002, was a Navy SeaBee assigned to the NMCB74 Battalion, and their youngest son, Daniel, was a chief in the Navy who works as a nuclear machinist.

The couple, who have been married since 1987, both went to East Allegheny High School, and met at church several years later.

Susan, who is retiring from Jefferson Hospital, said they have been in this house for 10 years after downsizing from another home in White Oak. She said she was not sure how long the roof had been on the house, but that they needed a new roof, so Mark applied for the program.

“We are grateful, and very blessed,” Susan said. “It’s amazing.”

After the Navy, Mark worked as a family therapist in foster care, taught a domestic violence unit class through the Allegheny County Jail for 18 years and has been in ministry for the past 14 years, where he feeds veterans throughout the year.

He serves at The Family of God Biblical Reasoning Prayer Center, also known as F.O.G. Ministries, located at 1133 Lincoln Way. There was a fire inside the building June 26 caused by a lightning strike.

People also go there for counseling, veterans services and more, and now, Mark said most of his belongings in the office are destroyed. However, he was grateful that he is getting a new roof on his house, but he is not sure what he is going to do next with the ministry.

“I need to figure out what to do,” Mark said. “I have a couple options. We lost everything. Keep us in prayer. You have no idea what (putting a roof on our house) does. Emotionally, it’s a relief.”

Veterans looking for help through his center can contact fogpgh@yahoo.com or 412-979-1286.

According to Mark and Potocnik, the way that people treat veterans as a whole, from his experience, has been positive. But others have had bad experiences, so he was glad there is some good still happening for veterans.

Potocnik recalled a time when an older veteran came in asking to pay for a new roof in installments. Potocnik recommended filling out an application.

“When he was standing there, tears came to his eyes because we told him we were going to give him a new roof,” Potocnik said. “That’s the joy and that’s the gratitude of what we are about, to help the veterans. We want them to be appreciated.

“We try to help out every veteran we can, and it feels good to give back,” he added. “The gratitude is well appreciated, and we’ll keep going. We want to give back to the veterans as much as possible.”

For more information on the Roof Deployment Project, or to apply for a new roof, go to www.owenscorning.com/ roofdeployment.