We often hear the word ministry and imagine a pastor or church staff member praying for church members, counseling or preaching. For Russell Allen, a former worship pastor turned professional roofer, ministry didn’t stop when he stepped away from his church position. Now he says, “I’m in the roofing ministry.”
After 20 years as a worship pastor, Russell changed careers in April of 2024. Universal Roofing & Construction hired him as an independent sales representative, prompting a close friend to suggest a partnership between Home Repairs Ministries and Universal Roofing & Construction. That friend was HRM’s Board Chair Bill Isaak.
The two met after Russell and his family moved from Iowa to Georgia and have been friends for the last ten years. The friendship sparked when Bill learned Russell and his family needed a temporary place to stay while waiting to close on their new home in Georgia. The Isaak family was on vacation and offered their home.
Since then, their friendship has grown, due in part to a mutual interest in construction and home repairs.
“He helped me install a couple things at the house and taught me things I didn’t know,” Russell said. “Bill became my adopted Georgia dad.”
After Russell’s career shift, Bill hoped Russell could use his roofing expertise to advise on HRM projects when necessary. Early in the partnership, Home Repairs’ project manager shared a key requirement from this relationship: “‘I just need to know that you’re gonna be able to care for these people.’”
Russell and Universal Roofing & Construction took those words to heart and have gone above and beyond to bless homeowners in need.
Russell remembers one project for an elderly woman whose stage-four cancer was in remission. She contacted Home Repairs Ministries for help with roof leaks, and HRM invited Russell and his team to assist.
Russell visited the home for an inspection and conversation with the homeowner, and he soon realized they could offer her more than he and HRM originally believed. “She had filed multiple claims without a roofer. That’s like going to court without a lawyer,” he explained.
Without the help of an experienced and trusted roofer to evaluate the damage, the homeowner’s claims had been denied.
As an insurance claims specialist, Russell reviewed the situation and believed Universal Roofing & Construction and Home Repairs could pursue an alternative route to simply fixing the leaks.
“I ended up seeing damage from a storm that she could file [a claim] on, and I walked the homeowner through that. Instead of Home Repairs Ministries paying Universal Roofing to do whatever repairs are necessary, which might have been thousands of dollars, what we ended up with is only having the deductible to pay.”
This is where another partnership came in. Home Repairs Executive Director Heather Loveridge reached out to Friends of Gwinnett Seniors. They covered the cost of the homeowner’s deductible, and the homeowners insurance covered the rest.
Russell encountered a similar situation with another elderly resident. She lived alone, and an injury limited her mobility and forced her to use a knee scooter. She had filed an insurance claim for her roof, but the insurance company denied it. That’s when Russell stepped in to advocate for her.
“She didn’t understand her policy, but she trusted me — she gave me four years worth of policy information. I was able to find that her policy actually covered the damages from the year before when a storm took place.”
He then called her insurance company to explain the situation. “They ended up paying for a whole new roof.”
And with HRM covering the insurance deductible, Russell said, “She didn’t have to pay a thing.”
Because of his insurance experience and trusted roofing team, Russell allows HRM to not only serve these homeowners but also steward gifts from their donors to maximize their outreach in the community.
“We’re saving Home Repairs Ministries’ money, and homeowners are getting way more than they asked for,” Russell said.
Through partnerships like this one, local homeowners are receiving necessary repairs and vital knowledge to maintain their homes.
“We all take for granted that our air conditioning works. We all take for granted that our windows shut property. We take for granted that our plumbing doesn’t leak. We take for granted we have homeowners insurance. Home Repairs Ministries provides a knowledge base for people who really don’t understand the trades or taking care of a home. They walk people through what it takes and what it costs,” Russell said.
For people wanting to give back, Russell recognized that giving of time and money isn’t always our first instinct, but giving back pays off. “I’ve never felt worse after caring for somebody else,” he said.
No matter what path of ministry we choose, Russell believes, “You’re blessed to be a blessing.”