Local student gives back with roof repair to Regina non-profit

The drips and drops at Indigenous Christian Fellowship will soon be things of the past after a donation from Regina Trades & Skills, and after one student in particular gave something back.

The roof at the non-profit had been leaking for two years.

“People were getting water drops on their heads and on the papers and the computers, so you’re trying to move stuff, put out buckets to collect the water that’s dripping down, and then you get the allergy reactions because that water’s not nice fresh spring water,” explained Bert Asama, executive director of Indigenous Christian Fellowship (ICF).

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He said ICF works on a donation basis so it has to stretch its dollars. He had got quotes for repairs to the roof as high as $100,000.

M&M Roof Repairs and Maintenance did some work on a drain and Adama said the owner ended up nominating ICF for a roof repair with Regina Trades & Skills. For this repair, ICF only has to cover the cost of the materials, which works out to less than $15,000.

“That money that would have been used for roof repair, we can put into some of our other program activities,” said Adama.

Jarrett Gordon was one of the students on the roof Thursday, lending his new skills to the project. He actually grew up nearby and had used the ICF’s services before, attending a dinner there, getting a bike from the ministry as a kid, and playing basketball out back.

Gordon said it feels good to give back.

“(It’s great) making myself useful, learning new things with them, and also helping them out,” he said.

Gordon said doing the work has been exciting, being able to get out and get into what he’d been learning.
This roof is one of several charitable donations Regina Trades & Skills does through the year, in an effort to give students hands-on learning. Melissa Dobrowolski, with the school, said they pride themselves on their practical training.

“One of the best ways to provide that training is getting the students out of the shop, back into the community and getting them on real job sites,” she said.

Dobrowolski said the on-site learning includes the actual work but also things like dealing with the elements and customer service.

The students who worked on this roof will have another week or so in class before heading out on work placements to put their new skills to use.