A Roof, a Second Chance, and a Community That Cares: How Augy Gavenda and Timberman Roofing Helped Transform Hope House
Crestview, FL – For children facing family conflict, abuse, neglect, or homelessness, Lutheran Services Florida’s Hope House provides more than a temporary place to stay—it provides safety, stability, and a chance to begin again.
Located in Crestview, Hope House serves youth ages 10 to 17 from Okaloosa and Walton counties, offering emergency shelter, crisis counseling, family counseling, and other supportive services designed to reunify families whenever safely possible and keep young people from entering the juvenile justice or child welfare systems.
When Augy Gavenda first heard that Hope House needed help, he expected to repair a few roofing issues.
Instead, he discovered a roof that was beyond saving.
“We got together with our suppliers and kind of all grouped up together,” Gavenda said. “They donated materials. We donated a bunch of materials and labor, and we were able to get it done.”
Working alongside his brother Ignacio Gavenda’s company, Timberman Roofing, Gavenda coordinated a complete roof replacement for Hope House—a project valued at approximately $22,000. Suppliers donated shingles, underlayment, and roofing materials, while Timberman Roofing donated labor and additional supplies, ensuring the shelter received a brand-new roof at no cost.
For a nonprofit like Lutheran Services Florida (LSF), where government funding supports programs but not facility maintenance, the gift was transformational.
For Gavenda, helping organizations like Hope House is part of a larger commitment to serving the community. Rather than investing heavily in event sponsorships, Timberman Roofing has intentionally shifted its focus toward meeting real needs.
Angie Holland and Augy Gavenda of Timberman Roofing
“We recently started giving directly to people in the community. We figured that was a better spend of our money,” Gavenda said.
Much of that philosophy has been shaped by the people around him.
Gavenda credits Timberman Roofing’s office manager, Angie Holland, as the driving force behind many of the company’s charitable efforts. Having grown up in foster care herself, Angie feels a personal connection to projects that support vulnerable children and families.
“She always leads the way with community work within our company, “ Gavenda said. “I’ve really got to give it up to her. She was the engine behind most of this.”
After the new roof was completed, Gavenda returned to Hope House and toured the newly renovated interior alongside the local group of Realtors who had coordinated improvements inside the home.
“It was amazing seeing the brand-new roof and all the new interior,” he said. “It’s great that the kids there will feel like they’re in a home, as opposed to a group shelter.”
That feeling of home matters. Every improvement to the facility helps create a safer, more welcoming place where young people can begin to heal.
Gavenda believes community projects like this create benefits that extend far beyond the immediate work itself.
“Helping out is like a chain reaction,” he said. “You get to see the effect right away.”
His perspective on generosity is refreshingly simple: “I always say giving to others is kind of selfish, because it feels good to do it,” he said with a laugh.
For the children who find safety at Hope House, the impact is impossible to miss. Thanks to the generosity of Augy and Ignacio Gavenda, the Timberman Roofing team, their suppliers, and the many community partners who came together, Hope House now has a secure roof overhead and one less obstacle standing between vulnerable children and a safe place to heal.
Sometimes changing lives begins with something as simple as fixing a roof. When a community comes together, that roof becomes a symbol of hope.
