Contractor fundraising to get veteran in Fairfield new roof

FAIRFIELD, Connecticut (WABC) -- A band aid on a broken arm, that's how John Peterson describes the blue tarp on the roof of a house in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Peterson is a contractor and he was hired to apply that tarp, but when he climbed onto the roof, Peterson saw and felt just how bad it is.

"I could see that the roof was shaky for one, and there were soft spots, which tells me that the water got inside the plywood under the bottom and it's not going to be able to sustain too much longer," Peterson said.

The home is owned by Richard Hada, who declined to be interviewed on camera.

Peterson is determined to help the Vietnam veteran and his disabled wife who's confined to the second floor of the home.

That's where water leaks down whenever it rains.

A neglected roof was made worse by Superstorm Sandy four years ago.

"It just broke my heart that here we are trying to cover up something when it really shows that it needs to be removed and replaced entirely," Peterson said.

Peterson, a parishioner at Black Rock Congregational Church has set up a GoFundMe page and is hopeful the church community and the community at large will help raise the $17,000 needed to raise a new roof.

Peterson says he's "wired to help" those in need.

"When I see veterans and I see them in uniform, I say, 'Thank you for protecting the rights of me and my family,' and here's a man that did that right? Now I get to demonstrate my appreciation," Peterson said.

For Peterson there's a sense of urgency: he hopes to raise the money and complete the repair in the next couple of months, because there's no guarantee the roof will make it through the winter.