MATTOON, Wis. (WFRV) – Marine Corps veteran Keith Schmidt lives in Shawano County, where, in late April, he watched a tornado tear through the area. His roof was badly damaged—already 20 to 25 years old—and needed replacing, but he couldn’t afford the repairs.
“I didn’t believe that it was gonna happen,” Schmidt said.
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While Schmidt received help with cleanup efforts after the storm, he never expected a new roof.
“It’s really exciting, it’s a financial blessing to me, because the roof has been—when the tornado struck—it was already about 20-25 years old,” Schmidt said. “And a lot of the shingles [were] torn off and there was damage to other parts of the roof.”
Schmidt’s two decades of volunteer work played a key role in him being chosen to receive the donation.
“They sent me an application and they were especially interested in a veteran or former law enforcement officer who volunteers, and I had 20 years of volunteer experience,” Schmidt added.
That’s where American Quality Homes stepped in. The company launched a new program, Operation Homefront, led by co-owner Michael Ebben as a way to give back to the community.
“Every 50 roofs that we sell and install, we give one back to our local communities, for a veteran or active military member, anybody who is a firefighter, EMS, first responder—anyone who needs a roof,” said Ebben.
Giving back to veterans like Schmidt is what inspired Ebben to go beyond construction.
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“Mainly [we wanted to] be more than just a construction company. Anyone can start a construction company—we just wanted something that’s gonna be something more,” Ebben said. “Have something for the team to come to work and be more than coming to work—have a purpose.”
American Quality Homes has two more roof donations planned for this year. If you know a veteran or active service member in need, you can reach out here.
