Building Community Dreams at the Shafter Learning Center

When communities come together, incredible things happen. That's exactly the case in the city of Seattle, Washington, where the GAF Community Contractor Program has made lasting impacts on those in need through partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and ReBuilding Together. Both nonprofit organizations focus on working with homeowners to build new homes and revitalize communities in need of rebuilding, respectively.GAF's partnership with Habitat for Humanity began in 2011. From the start, it felt like a natural pairing. Habitat for Humanity's vision of "building strength, stability and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing" aligns perfectly with GAF's commitment to building resiliency in communities across the U.S.GAF recently became involved in ReBuilding Together in the Pacific Northwest through GAF Territory Manager Donovan Gladstone, whose involvement with the board of Roofing Contractors Association of Washington created an opportunity for community partnership. ReBuilding Together's mission of "repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives" is an excellent fit with GAF's commitment to helping neighbors.Helping Contractors Support their CommunitiesGAF invests in the areas where it has manufacturing operations, aiming to lift up the communities where team members live and work. This ideal extends to the GAF Community Contractor Program, where GAF certified contractors can partner with GAF and give back through the following initiatives:GAF Habitat for Humanity Program. With over 1,500 local Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the U.S., GAF-certified contractors can partner with their local chapter to provide the labor to install fully-donated GAF roofing systems. Volunteers don't work alone. Homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor into building their Habitat house.GAF Affordable Housing Reroof Program. This initiative encourages contractors to partner with any 501c3 nonprofit organization in their community for a reroof project, for which GAF will donate the shingles.GAF Roofs for Heroes. GAF-certified contractors can partner with a local 501c3 to perform roof repairs or replacements for local heroes. These heroes include healthcare workers, first responders, veterans, police, fire, and EMTs.As part of the Community Contractor Program's progress in Washington state, more than 20 GAF certified contractors were able to provide over 100 new roofs to those in need of a new roof in the Seattle region, working with Habitat for Humanity and ReBuilding Together. "Giving back is at the core of what GAF does, but bringing in and partnering with our contractors is something that makes us unique," explains GAF Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Arlene Marks.Celebrating Giving Back While Giving Back AgainMarks and Gladstone wanted to host an event to thank the contractors who donated their time and labor to install those roofs and came up with a unique and fun way to extend the spirit of giving through Welcome Home Toolkits. "This was Arlene's idea, and it was such a great one," Gladstone notes.Marks shares, "We try to make all of our events meaningful, so what was the best way that we could reach back out to these homeowners that we've already helped? The Welcome Home Kits were the answer."The contractors attending the event assembled toolkits containing basic items like screwdrivers, nut drivers, adjustable wrenches, pliers, hammers, safety glasses, and more. The kits also include a video message of encouragement from the program participants.Most of the individuals who are helped through the roof donations are first-time homeowners. Accordingly, many don't have the basic tools needed to maintain their homes. The gift of a Welcome Home Toolkit provides so much more than drivers and wrenches, it offers confidence, resilience, and peace of mind.Building Community Among ContractorsIncredible things happen when communities come together—not only for the recipients of the donations, but for the participants as well. GAF-certified contractors in the Seattle region came together to give back to the community while building new professional relationships and friendships at the same time."You're bringing together like-minded people," Marks notes. "While they are competitors in the field, they already have the compassion to help their communities. It was an opportunity to work together toward a common goal to meet, share ideas, and talk about the market in a very safe and non-competitive environment."Impacting the CommunityA representative from Habitat for Humanity attended the appreciation event in Seattle to say thank you and share how much of an impact ReBuilding Together and the contractors' work have had on the community. The Welcome Home Toolkits were provided to both organizations and have gone a long way toward welcoming and inspiring the new homeowners.Looking to get involved in giving back to your community? Visit the GAF Community Matters page to explore different opportunities and get started.

As industry leaders, we have a responsibility to use our expertise and resources to leave our communities and our planet better than we found it. We are making strategic investments to achieve our goals and have made great progress in partnership with our employees, non-profit partners and contractors. Visit gaf.com/sustainability to learn more and join our efforts.

The Gulf Region is growing more resilient thanks to a meaningful partnership between actor Anthony Mackie, Marvel Cinematic Universe's next "Captain America," and GAF. Over the last year, as part of the GAF Community Matters initiative, GAF and Mackie partnered to re-roof 500 storm-damaged homes and empower local workforce resiliency through tuition-free GAF Roofing Academy trainings.The 500th roof was recently installed in New Orleans, Mackie's hometown. "A year ago today we started this," he notes, "And to say that, exactly 365 days later, we finished our 500th roof is pretty astonishing. It shows the commitment of everybody who has been a part of this project and made this dream come true."Rebuilding Roofs and Empowering CommunitiesFollowing Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Gulf Region suffered a string of devastating natural disasters, and many residents found themselves unable to make the needed repairs to their homes before the next storm caused more damage. Ending this cycle and building more resilient communities is a main focus of the GAF Community Matters initiative."We're not only putting roofs over the heads of people that need them," GAF's Chief Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Andy Hilton explains. "We're also building those roofs in a way that can sustain through the next storm, using state-of-the-art roofing materials that will provide the sustainability, the comfort and the security these families deserve."Safe roofs mean greater resilience, both for the homes and businesses they shelter as well as the individuals who inhabit them. Rebuilding and restoring damaged roofs fosters long-term resilience.Strengthening the WorkforceIn addition to re-roofing 500 new homes in the Gulf Region, GAF committed to provide community members with training around essential roofing skills through the GAF Roofing Academy. The program helps train individuals to support future rebuilding efforts in communities impacted by severe weather and acts as a pipeline for skilled labor, which is currently in high demand."The labor trade is in desperate need of bodies," notes GAF Roofing Academy Instructor Gary Pierson. This is especially true in the storm-ravaged Gulf Region.Mackie joined the GAF Roofing Academy training in New Orleans, which consisted of both classroom and hands-on instruction. As the son of a roofer, he has lots of prior experience and understands the transformative power of skilled work. "Learning a trade like roofing is one thing that can help a community come back, that can help a neighborhood come back, that can help a family come back," Mackie says.The courses are open to anyone looking to enter or re-enter the workforce, including the underemployed, formerly incarcerated, veterans, and others who may face career barriers. The GAF Roofing Academy offers tuition-free, hands-on roofing training to those interested in learning the trade from industry experts. Ultimately, students are equipped with the skills needed to enter the roofing trade and the program assists in placing them in well-paying jobs upon graduation."Teaching the next generation the roofing trade not only helps GAF Community Matters toward their mission, it helps the neighborhoods and the regions they're in," Mackie notes."Knowing the roofing trade provides the opportunity for financial security for you and your family."Looking ForwardThe Gulf Region project hit a milestone when Mr. Joe, a New Orleans resident of over 60 years, had the 500th roof installed on his long-time family home. But it's certainly not the closing scene."This is only the beginning," Mackie shares, after sitting with Mr. Joe on his porch to celebrate the new roof. "Even though we've hit our 500th house today and the stories of all these homeowners are so amazing, there's still so much more to do."The efforts will be ongoing. GAF will continue to strengthen the region by helping residents feel safe in their homes and comfortable in their communities.Curious to learn more about this project and other initiatives GAF is involved in? Explore GAF Community Matters.