An angel on their shoulders (and roofs)

By Jenny Yu.  

Through the Halo Project, Guardian Roofing gives back to their community with free roof repairs and replacements for families in need. 

Since 2005, Guardian Roofing has provided the Pacific Northwest community with roof, gutter and insulation services. Every year, they give back to their community through the “Halo Project,” named in 2018.  

Through the Halo Project, Guardian Roofing gives a homeowner or family in need a new roofing system, free of charge. Last year, the Sorensen family in Lakewood, Washington, were the lucky recipients.  

Steven Sorensen, a military veteran, was a helicopter rescue pilot in the Vietnam War and now works as a TV repairman. His wife, Penney, is a seamstress. Though in his 80s, Steven would still get on their roof to try and stop recurring leaks. Their daughter nominated them for the Halo Project, and their whole community rallied behind them. 

Matt Swanson, owner of Guardian Roofing along with his wife Lori, told New Day Northwest, “Underneath the roof, the plywood that the roof was attached to was actually failing. So, no matter how hard Steve tried, he wasn’t going to be able to fix it. So we tore the roof off, put new shingles on and finished the project with a new set of K5 gutters. They should not have to worry about their roof from here on out.” 

Lori added, “It's such an honor to give back to a veteran for all their sacrifice and risking their life for us and our country. It was great.”  

Matt and Lori expanded Guardian Roofing into Wilsonville, Oregon, and plan on offering two Halo Projects, one in Washington and one in Oregon, in 2026.   

“It's just exciting because we can bring it to more people, and it's our first multi-state branch,” Lori said. “We know breaking ground in the new community gives us opportunities to give back to that community as well.” 

When asked what the Halo Project means to them, Lori shared, “Our job as roofing contractors is to keep people safe and dry. When that’s compromised, when your roof is failing, and you need help, and you don’t know where to go and you don’t have the means to do that, we’re bringing them such a sense of peace of mind and relieving that stress. It’s really special to be able to do that.”  

“We always talk about the recipient, but the true recipient is us,” Matt added. “And the neatest part of the program is watching how excited and fulfilled our team gets... It reminds our people how important what we do is. Because they get to go out, and they get to see somebody in need and they get to put a roof over their head. That's something that they'll always take with them.” 

Image source: New Day Northwest