Thanksgiving came early for one Moss Bluff family.

Walter Collins, Michelle Shoddy and their three boys, Thomas, Tanner and Tyler, had roof damage after the 2020 hurricanes. Walter, tired of fixing leaks one-by-one and repairing sheetrock, decided to use a temporary measure until the family could afford a new roof, a melt-on tar paper-like covering.

Little did the family know that family friends Amanda Bull and Larry and Gail Miller had entered their “roof story” in Reed’s Metals of Sulphur “Cover the Community” giveaway.

“This is the eighth year we’ve done this,” said Ryan Barrett of Reeds Metals. “This year 91 names and stories were submitted.”

After entries closed, Barrett drove to each of the 91 houses to ensure it could be roofed with metal. Then Reed narrowed the list to five, and core staffers made the final decision.

“I think the three boys and the problems with the leaking in their rooms cinched it for them,” Barrett said.