Floyd “Butch” Stewart heard his roof snap and crack as it shifted over his east Toledo home. A replacement was out of reach on a limited income — until a local company gave him one for free.

Stewart, a Vietnam War veteran who grew up in Toledo, was drafted in the late 1960s, in one of the last groups of men required to serve. Two years into his service, he was driving a truck full of soldiers when it crashed. Doctors told him the injuries were permanent. He has lived with that disability for close to 39 years, he told WTOL 11 (as reported by Great Lakes Home Remodeling).

Last year, Stewart’s brother Bob heard about Project Homefront, Great Lakes Home Remodeling’s program to give a free roof to a local veteran. The Stewarts were chosen. A crew tore off the old roof and installed the new one in two days, with roofing manufacturer GAF joining on install day. The family paid nothing for materials, labor or disposal.

His wife, Jody, told WTOL she broke down and cried when the work was finished — because the couple no longer had to worry about the roof.

On Monday, Nov. 10, WTOL reporter Anneliese Cornejo Garcia visited the Stewarts at their east Toledo home to revisit the story — and to report that Project Homefront is choosing its 2026 recipient this week, according to Great Lakes Home Remodeling.

The program is open again this year to veteran homeowners in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. Anyone can nominate a veteran — or veterans can nominate themselves — through the nomination form on the company’s website. Questions go to (888) 589-7173.

Stewart had advice for whoever is chosen next. He told WTOL not to be afraid, because the program is not a scam: the people behind it are trying to help.

A Vietnam War veteran salutes at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)