Edinburg veteran to receive new roof thanks to national program
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An Edinburg veteran is getting a brand-new roof on his home free of charge as part of a national program aimed at helping veterans in need.
The family has been living with leaks for years, but a national partnership stepped in to help. They tried everything from insurance to FEMA, but couldn't get help for years until this week.
U.S. Army veteran David Torresvela says the leak started in his daughter's room and over the years water damage spread throughout the home.
When repairs quoted upwards of $8,000, he says it just wasn't possible.
"It started leaking in my daughter's room. So, it was very like sad," Torresvela said. "Our insurance didn't want to cover, I even spoke with FEMA, and they didn't want to do it. Finally, I spoke with XYZ [Roofing and Restorations] and when they noticed the issue, they told me about this program."
The family will pay not a single dollar.
Torresvela says he got the call while at work and immediately told his wife and daughters. He says after dealing with leaks for years, this feels like a huge weight lifted.
"I was like so super happy, I called my wife and my daughters and everything in regard to this, and I was like, I'm still surprised that everything is happening," Torresvela said.
XYZ Roofing and Restorations is donating all the labor and Owens Corning is donating the materials through a partnership with Purple Heart Homes to install a full roof replacement for U.S. Army veteran David Torresvela.
The company says this is the first-ever roof deployment project in the Rio Grande Valley.
"He had a few leaks and unfortunately, you know, times are tough. He didn't have the cash and financing wasn't an option," XYZ Roofing contractor Gary Gahler said. "We reached out to the homeowner and said, 'hey, I'm a veteran, you're a veteran. I'm aware of this program, would you be interested in applying for it?' and ultimately he did choose to apply."
Torresvela hopes other veterans can be reached and helped the same way, and XYZ Roofing says they hope to continue helping local veterans through this program every year.
Construction at Torresvela's home began on Monday and has now been completed. The full roof was finished within a day, giving this family a dry, safe home before the next rainfall.
Watch the video above for the full story.
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