Men who have been homeless know that the ultimate luxury is having a roof over their heads while they work on turning their lives around.

H.O.P.E. (Holy One's People Empowered) Ministries of the Upstate built a second house in the Northside neighborhood of Spartanburg, SC, that will enable the ministry to double its capacity to help homeless men get back on their feet and live independently.

Founded in 2010 by Shawn Parker, who was once homeless himself, the nonprofit Christian ministry provides a range of support services in partnership with Miracle Hill Rescue Mission of Spartanburg.

The new house, like the existing home that has been in use since 2013, features three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths as well as a full kitchen and a large conference room for nightly meetings and Bible studies. Also like the first house, it will be home to five men as they go through H.O.P.E.’s comprehensive support and training program.

Atlas Roofing was proud to donate shingles for such a worthwhile project.

“Many in our community support H.O.P.E. and one local builder serves on its executive board,” said Jason Collins, outside sales representative for Builders First Source in Spartanburg. “When H.O.P.E. decided to build a new place to continue its mission, the Home Builders Association [HBA] referred them to us.”

Pinnacle Is Tops

Builders First Source (BFS) served as primary contractor on the H.O.P.E. project with Collins as project manager. BFS outlined the critical path for construction of the new facility and many in the construction industry provided labor and material contributions. Atlas Roofing donated 32 squares of Pinnacle^® Pristine architectural shingles.

“Builders First Source has been working with Atlas Roofing products at its Spartanburg location for more than 10 years,” said Collins. “Glenn Garrett of Garrett Roofing in Inman, SC, donated his labor and time to install these shingles.”

Collins noted three primary benefits from installing Pinnacle Pristine shingles.

“We wanted a shingle that would not only perform well, but look stately, too,” said Collins. “It was a no-brainer to go with Atlas algae resistant shingles with Scotchgard™ Protector because they resist algae growth and you don’t get ugly blacks streaks on the roof.”

These streaks make a house look old and dirty and reduce its curb appeal. Atlas shingles featuring Scotchgard Protector come with the Atlas Lifetime Algae Resistance Limited Warranty against the black streaks caused by algae.

Pinnacle Pristine asphalt shingles were designed to protect everyone and everything under a roof. Made with High-Performance (HP) technology, they are backed by Atlas Roofing's 130 mph Wind Limited Warranty. The wind-resistant shingles repel high-force winds and hard-driven rain, which is important because loss of shingles due to high winds can lead to flooding and damage of nightmare proportions.

Collins is confident that Pinnacle Pristine shingles are going to give H.O.P.E. Ministries a reliable roof for many years to come.

”We could have used a cheaper quality, less impact-resistant shingle,” he said. “But H.O.P.E. probably would have had problems down the road.”

The 6-inch reveal of Pinnacle Pristine shingles was a deciding factor.

“For a roofer, snapping his lines at 12 inches instead of 11 inches does add up,” said Collins. “By the time the roofing crew got to the ridge, they had installed one less row versus any other brand.”

Good Neighbor Reputation

Collins said the decision to go with Pinnacle Pristine shingles was a nod to Atlas Roofing’s good name.

“The company carries a solid reputation in our community,” he said. “Within a day of our inquiry, Atlas eagerly joined the project and that helped us tremendously.”

The H.O.P.E. Ministries project was important to BFS because it was local. The newly built home is only 4 miles from the company’s headquarters in Spartanburg.

“This center is going to serve our community right here in our own back yard,” he said. “It was so great that Atlas Roofing partnered with the Spartanburg HBA and Builders First Source to give help to H.O.P.E. Ministries, a truly genuine cause.”

Help Is Welcome

This non-profit organization works tirelessly to guide people through a process of recovery from life's hurts, habits and hang-ups and get them back into the community as productive Christian citizens.

“H.O.P.E. Ministries of the Upstate is very grateful to Atlas Roofing for its donation that will help them to do much more for the community,” said Collins.  “Anyone interested in assisting with re-integration, employment and placement for H.O.P.E.’s participants can contact the organization.”