When Andy Anuzis, former executive director of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Michigan, heard his coworker’s husband had suffered a terrible accident—leaving him paralyzed from the neck down—he knew there had to be something the community could do.

Mich Anuzis and Molnarael Miller and his family were in need of a house that was ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible. Knowing the house was aging and in need of major renovations, Anuzis reached out to the ABC Southeastern Michigan Chapter (SEMI) for support.


“I knew ABC contractors would rally to this cause and they would step up and be helpful,” says Anuzis, who’s now a director at the Cornerstone Schools Association. “That’s one of the great things about ABC and the merit shop philosophy: The people who belong to ABC really believe in it, and it’s not just a slogan.”

The chapter shared the story of the local family with its members, and two companies stepped forward to offer their materials and labor to repair the home.

Wm. Molnar Roofing Co., Inc., Riverview, Mich., and X-Calibur Sheet Metal Installation Services, Inc., Romulus, Mich., brought out 26 volunteers last March to fix the home’s deteriorating 25-year-old roof.

“What I was hoping for was that the Miller family would see that there are other people on their team,” says Rob Molnar, CFO of Molnar Roofing. “There are others that are supportive of them, and it’s not just them against the world.”

The volunteers undertook site preparation, tear-off and installation, jobsite cleanup and safety monitoring roles. Other volunteers cooked lunch while the crews worked. The volunteers also rebuilt a brick chimney that was falling apart, covering the exterior in siding and topping it with a sheet metal chimney cap. The two companies provided $11,500 in materials and labor for the new roof, and employee volunteers made an $800 donation to the Miller family.

Additionally, Onslow-Sheffield, Inc., Brighton, Mich., donated the materials needed to construct a ramp for Miller to use once he returns home from rehabilitation.

“We are proud to play a role in connecting contractors with this family in need,” says ABC SEMI Chapter President Mark Sawyer. “It put a dry roof over their heads. The house was never designed to be ADA compliant, and ABC played a part in changing that.”