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Castalia woman receives new roof after a year of waiting

Gold Medal Roofing and Atlas Shingles gifted labor and materials to replace the woman's roof, which had been damaged in a storm.

CASTALIA, Ohio — "Welcome to the Puchalskis."

That's the sign hanging outside one home in Castilia, a village with fewer than 700 people in Erie County. It's where Carol Puchalski lives, a home she once shared with her late husband, Tom. 

In July 2023, a bad hail storm left Puchalski with holes in her roof, causing a number of issues. 

"It's been horrible," she said. "I have had water running down the walls from the ceiling."

She described the inside of her home as filled with water damage. From the hall closets, to the ceiling, Puchalski said she constantly had fans running to help minimize the damage.

Puchalski claims her insurance company said they couldn't do anything to help. WTOL 11 reached out to Puchalski's insurance company for comment, whose chief legal office said they could not publicly comment on the status of claims. 

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 With no way to afford the $14,000 bill, Carol was left with significant water damage over the last year.

 "I am a widow, and I would really be in big trouble if I had to pay," she said, adding that the death of her husband has made maintaining the home a constant struggle. 

Gold Medal Roofing of Ohio and Atlas Shingles heard about Puchalski's situation, and decided to replace her roof - for free. They also said they would fix the leaks and any water damage to the structure of the home, gratis. 

Dave Morris, branch manager for Gold Medal Roofing, said it was the right thing to do. He said he spoke with the branch's boss in Tennessee, who told Morris and his crew to take care of it for her.

"We, at Gold Medal Roofing, decided that we were going to come out and take care of her roof pro-bono just because we believe in giving back," he said. 

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Morris described his company as driven by purpose, not profit. He say they were grateful they could help. 

"It's as much of a blessing for us as it is for her," he said. "We just love giving back and love being part of any community we can." 

Project manager Roy Whitehead said the crew was excited to help improve Carol's home and turn it back into a liveable space. 

"Just to know she's not going to have nay more ceiling stains in her dining room and kitchen - and a brand new roof - it's just a wonderful thing," he said. 

Pachulski expressed her gratitude to the company, and through her faith. 

"It's a blessing from God," she said. "I have been blessed by this company."

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