Angels come in different forms

By Chris Law
Lake Country Calendar
June 18, 2008

It’s one thing to talk and dream big about giving back to one’s community but it’s quite another to give selflessly and actually carry through with such ambitions. One young Okanagan company is doing just that to do its part in promoting generosity and kindness in a community that has allowed their venture to prosper. Ace Roofing owned and operated by brothers Art and Rob Gadja, have volunteered their expertise to put a new roof on the home of John, Doreen and Aaron Kabel, a family that neither of the Gadja brothers had ever met before. The home’s roof is in dire need of repair and has been for some time but the family’s finances have always been consumed by more immediate basic needs.

The meeting of the Gadja’s and the Kabels is almost too incredibly generous to believe. Art Gadja says that when he and his brother started the company five years ago they decided that once the business had established itself they would volunteer to re-roof a house of a deserving family. Over the years the brothers have worked on roofs on a number of houses in Lake Country and in their travels throughout the municipality they made a list of possible houses to approach about volunteer re-roofing projects.

“The Kabel’s house was on our list because we could see just looking at it from the road that the shingles were well past their life expectancy. I noticed that the lawn was always mowed when I went by so I knew that the people living there cared about their home and were doing the best they could,” says Art Gadja.

The Gadja family lived on a limited income itself when Art and Rob were growing up. Art Gadja recalls his father coming home after working 12 hour shifts only to start doing yard work or home repairs.

“Angels come in different forms,” says Mrs. Kabel of the Gadjas who she thinks of as family members now. “Art and Rob will always be part of our lives. We’re just so grateful,” she says emotionally.

Mrs. Kabel remembers her first meeting with Art Gadja regretfully. The Kabel residence is the first home that the family has actually owned as opposed to rented and Mrs. Kabel says she feels blessed to have it and for her husband to have been able to provide it. Throughout the years that the family has lived there she says some people have made belittling comments about the condition of their home without consideration for the effect that their words were having. Disliking the put downs about the home that she cares so much for, Mrs. Kabel admits that she was actually rude to Art Gadja when he approached her about replacing the roof.

“Nobody needs to be told they’re unsuccessful,” says Mrs. Kabel of the comments that she has dealt with “but we’ve met some really wonderful people in Lake Country as well since we moved here. Art has treated us like paying customers throughout this whole process and I have the utmost respect for him and his brother.

The Gadja’s offered to have a painter friend of theirs donate his time to put a fresh coat of paint on the interior walls but the Kabels declined, reasoning that it was not an absolute necessity and that it would be taking advantage of an already fortunate situation.

To make ends meet Mr. Kabel works full-time at Rayburns Marine World where he regularly puts in more than 40 hours per week and also holds down a part-time job with Bud Rock setting up lighting and sound equipment for concerts at Prospera Place. Mrs. Kabel is employed at Nature Factors but in support of her recovery process from a recent car accident her hours have been cut back. Even their son Aaron Kabel helps out working part-time at Larry’s Cycle and at UBC-Okanagan.

The materials for the re-roofing project are being donated as well. Ace Roofing will carry out the work with their own basic tools, truck and gas. The company has also arranged to have the new shingles donated and delivered through an arrangement with Malarkey Roofing Products and Ace Hardware.