Company Builds New Roof For Muskogee Nonprofit Free Of Cost After Damage

The Muskogee community is pitching in after vandals damaged a nonprofit for homeless veterans.

One company offered to give the nonprofit,The Barracks, a new roof — all for free.

After vandals hit the building, causing thousands of dollars in damage, the Muskogee community and businesses came together to get everything back on track.

When Brad Satterfield with RCS Roofing heard that a local nonprofit needed his help, he did not hesitate.

"It basically was a no-brainer, I mean, veterans, help, I mean it just goes hand in hand, to want to help them," Satterfield said.

The former nursing home on the west side of Muskogee is the future site of a housing center for The Barracks.

Last month, vandals broke in before remodeling even started.

They stripped all the copper wiring in the building, smashing toilets, destroying air conditioners and ripping apart the roof in the process.

"They were actually pulling the wires from the roof and the ceilings, exposing some of the roofing. Therefore, when it rained, we were getting a lot of water damage, and the water damage was horrible because it destroys pipes, it destroys wiring, it destroys carpet," said Victor Lezama, the nonprofit's founder.

Lezama says the community stepped up.

Volunteers came in on a Saturday to help clean up.

Local businesses cleaned the carpets and offered to paint the walls.

"I started, I started tearing up," Lezama said.

RCS Roofing decided to fix the roof free of charge, donating the materials and labor.

"It's a sense of pride. I mean, a sense of volunteering and helping. Any time you can help and not expect not anything in return, that's the true definition of helping and volunteering," Satterfield said.

The founders still hope to have The Barracks open by this Christmas.