Get Marty: Neighbor Helps Veteran In Desperate Need Of New Roof

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A group of local citizens are stepping up to help a veteran in need, and along the way they reached out to Get Marty for help.

"We had to do something," says Scott Schmitt.

Schmitt wanted to make certain his neighbor, Army veteran Jerry Chontos - who served as a war photographer, got a new roof on his home.

The existing roof had gaping holes. And, with the ceiling inside near a dangerous collapse, Chontos had his floor lined with buckets.

"Water comes pouring into my kitchen when it rains," says Chontos.

The veteran is also facing serious health problems.

"That happened when I was in the hospital," said Chontos of one of the holes in his ceiling. "I went into the hospital, most of that wasn't there."

Schmitt got volunteers from a South Park BMX park to raise money for the shingles. Then, KDKA's Marty Griffin used his radio show to raise enough cash to pay for laborers to put on the new roof.

"I couldn't get it out of my mind, him living like that," said Schmitt. "Every time it rained, I imaged it coming into my house. So I put out a Facebook SOS."

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KDKA also found roofer Mark O'Rourke who said he would do the job for a fraction of the cost.

"This roof should have been done ten years ago," says O'Rourke. "It gives me a good feeling. It's like Christmas for my heart."

Watching as his new roof was put on, Chontos said he is both overwhelmed and thankful for the generosity of others.

"I'm at a loss for words. There aren't enough words to say thank you to everybody," said Chontos.

If you'd like Marty to help you solve your problem, email him at GetMarty@kdka.com.