11/01/2025
every year, there is a season when we remind ourselves what we have to be thankful for. a recollection of blessings and gratitudes we have for others and an acknowledgment of how we are fortunate.
we are thankful for our community. and our construction community — and us — are thankful for this man.
starting off in the construction field is difficult - especially when you have no idea what you are doing. this man was a mentor, a colleague, a friend. quietly, he would teach and correct. he would guide when frustrations built, always leading with a quick smile and gentle words. we have learned so much from him, and are thankful for his continued expertise and friendship.
he recently lost his wife, and has had a couple of joint surgeries that make working hard - what he’s done his whole life - more difficult. he asks us for help with small things, never expecting more than the little things. we decided this past september, however, that he was in need of a new roof.
in partnership with matt johnson drywall and his crew, the owners behind who have known him for even longer than we have, who delivered the materials, and some other donors, we tore off the old roof and put on a new one at no cost to him.
thankfulness has a funny way of creeping into our daily lives, and it’s good to remember all we are thankful for. we are thankful for him - a veteran, an excellent craftsman, a mentor to so many in this field, a friend to even more, and someone who would guide and lead quietly and with grace.
thank you to all who came to help tear off and reroof. thank you to everyone who supplied the manpower, the funds, and the resources to do this project. thank you to OIP in mifflinburg and the mazzamuto family for sponsoring a delicious lunch for the crew - it was fabulous. thank you to our community of builders and contractors and material suppliers and our community of friends, local restaurants, and family who helped.
thank you, most of all, to him.
