As O’LYN Contractors, Inc. Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary, They Give Away A Much Needed Roof To Deserving Local Retiree
Norwood, MA (PRWEB) April 09, 2014 -- When O’LYN Contractors held its roof giveaway to a needy family last year, there were many deserving nominees. One of them, a local retiree named Ken Joyce, stood out for his kindness and the immaculate care he took of his property, as well as having entertained many a sweet tooth as owner of the Tremont Ice Cream shop in the South End. As Michael Olen points out, “Ken is one of those guys who stands out not just because of the memories of that ice cream shop and the pride he takes in caring for his home, but especially for the way he is always looking out for others.”
Last year’s roof giveaway recipient was a single divorced mom struggling to provide for her two boys on very limited resources. Her roof was long past its lifetime, badly deteriorated and leaking, and her homeowner’s insurer was threatening to cancel her policy if she didn’t replace it. There was just no budget for a roof replacement without coming at the expense of necessities. So replacing their roof was an enormously rewarding project for O’LYN. But there were still those three other deserving finalists, including Ken Joyce.
O’LYN Contractors, Inc. is celebrating 40 years in the roofing industry this year. “We don’t just work in Norfolk County. We live here, shop here and raise our families here. We wanted to let the community know just how important they are to us,” says owner Michael Olen. “Giving away a free roof seemed like a logical way to do that.”
Originally a cape built in 1843, Ken’s home is one of the very oldest in the neighborhood. The front portion of his main roof was badly deteriorated from it’s steep pitch facing directly into the sun, and it was in dire need of replacement. Being on a fixed income, caring for his elderly mother, and putting a kid through college just didn’t leave Ken the means to address it himself in a timely manner. His story seemed to strike a particular chord with Michael Olen. The entire front portion of the roof was stripped of two layers of shingles and replaced at no cost to Ken. Today his roof is free from leaks and worries, and he can take the time to enjoy himself a little more often, feeding peanuts to the squirrels in his yard while admiring the hawks, turkeys and deer that frequent the property.
Most of O’LYN’s philanthropy efforts for 2014 are focused on the Tom Olen Memorial Fund. Established in 2013, the Tom Olen Memorial Fund was created by O’LYN Contractors to honor longtime employee, Tom Olen. The fund is dedicated to cancer research, organ transplants, and supporting these patients and families in their daily struggles. The inaugural kick-off for funding began with the Tom Olen Memorial Golf Outing held at the Brookmeadow Country Club in September of 2013. Corporate sponsorships, many friends, family, community members and O’LYN employees attended to help raise money to fight cancer, and that first event raised over $17,000. Disbursements for the Fund to date include: Paint Her Pink Foundation ($500), Promise For Purple ($130), We Love Jesse ($3000), Make-A-Wish/Long Beach Polar Bears ($500), The Philip Webb Lung Transplant Fund ($1000), The Furbush Children's Fund ($2000), $5000 for scholarship for a student whose family has been affected by cancer.
About O’LYN Contractors, Inc.
Founded in 1974, O’LYN Contractors, Inc. is a family-owned and operated roofing company serving the Boston Metro area of New England. O’LYN Contractors divisions include O’LYN Roofing, O’LYN Roof Cleaning, and O’LYNsulation, O’LYN Sunlight and O’LYN subsidiary The Gutter Shutter of Boston Metro. O’LYN Contractors has always been known for its “Quality Without Compromise” approach and has installed nearly 20,000 roofs throughout Eastern Massachusetts, Northern Rhode Island and Southern New Hampshire. For more information, please visit http://www.olynroofing.com.
Mark Negron, O'LYN Contractors, Inc., 781-769-8599, [email protected]
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