Pittsburgh-area military family gets new roof

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) -- In Westmoreland County on Wednesday, it was one new roof for two very deserving people.

For the fifth year in a row, the Beacon of Hope initiative has awarded a new roof to a deserving veteran and their family. It just so happens that Ashley Hika, the service member they awarded this new roof to, lives with her parents, and her father Dan is also a veteran who served with the U.S. Navy.

Cheryl, Ashley's mother, says that this roof couldn't have come at a better time.

"We did have some leaks in our third-floor attic," said Cheryl. "And then also in the bathroom downstairs and in our breakfast nook. A couple of years ago, we had some estimates and I about choked. So then I said, 'we'll just wait, because we can't afford it.'"

This roof is certainly a big deal for the Hika family and Ashley says that it especially means the world to her father, who has been disabled for years.

"I was actually in tears yesterday," said Ashley. "Because, before his accident, he was a handyman, and he did some roofing on the side. Just to see him so happy and out here talking with the roofer guys -- he's just like a kid in a candy shop."

Ashley just re-upped with the National Guard and works with EZ Home Exteriors, the company that has been working for the last two days installing their new roof.

She says had it not been for a co-worker bringing this initiative to her attention, she may have never known about it and their roof may never have gotten fixed.

"It was actually our production manager who was like, 'hey, this might be a good opportunity for you,'" said Ashley. "Because I had talked to them a little bit about the struggles of taking care of my dad and I have had to help support my mom. So, this program was just something that they were like, 'you'd be great for this. You are a veteran, you meet all the qualifications,' and they helped me put together the essay that I had to submit, and we ended up winning."

If you would like more information on how to potentially get a veteran in your neighborhood a new roof, more information on Beacon of Hope can be found here.