Do you know what you get for your 18th birthday when you’re in foster care? You get to move out. It doesn’t matter that you might still be in high school or that you have no place to go. Cindy Tilley, Founder and President of Forgotten Angels grew up in foster care and knows what it’s like to have no one you can count on and nowhere to live. Forgotten Angels gives young adults (kids really) who are 18 and out of foster care a home, and a family. She takes in kids from all over Florida and out of state. Their emphasis is on tiny homes which the kids love because they have their own space and they don’t have to worry about anyone going through their stuff. Since they have an address and stability they are able to take advantage of the resources the state makes available to them after they’re 18. They can get jobs and save so they can get a car and even buy their own tiny house. The goal of Forgotten Angels is to give the kids a place to transition; to get on their feet so one day they can move on and live on their own, but also to give them a place to heal, a family, and a sense of belonging.
The Tampa Chapter of National Women in Roofing’s holiday service project was to provide a roof replacement for one of the buildings on the Forgotten Angels property. We were all so touched to do something for this organization that is doing such great things for these kids and also for the community. Many thanks to Bridget Jenkins Wilson of Cardinal Roofing who met Cindy and allowed NWIR Tampa to share in this project. Cardinal Roofing did all the legwork before the project and provided equipment and roof repairs. Quality Roofing provided all the labor and also building materials for the standing seam roof that was installed. Our other material providers were Empire Building Materials, Polyglass, Millennium Metals and Tubos. We also had breakfast and lunch sponsors which included Delta Rep Group, Suncoast Roofers Supply, Apoc, and Gardner Gibson. In addition, we had additional support from participants from Cotney Construction Law and IKO.
Pretty sure our hearts grew three sizes that day. It was humbling to meet Cindy and her right-hand man David Tyler as well as some of the kids they are enriching the lives of. They give so much of themselves to the kids and the community and we were so fortunate to be able to support their work through this project. We so appreciate all the support from our Tampa area roofing industry that made this possible. One final note we collected information about job opportunities within the industry for kids who may be looking for a job. Hopefully, some of the kids may be a part of our industry one day! It’s great to share what a wonderful industry this is and how many opportunities there are in roofing.
