Carroll County Christian Work Camp in Eldersburg, MD, helps to repair and improve homes for individuals and families of inadequate income or abilities living in or near Carroll County.

Established as a branch of the Baltimore County Christian Work Camp in the early 1990s, the non-profit volunteer home improvement organization previously took on summer projects for only one week each year. However, when Mike Geiger took over as chair, the program changed to accommodate residents’ needs as they arise, like he learned in God’s Holy Word growing up.

Geiger, who owns Geigerland Contracting Corporation, had prior experience coordinating volunteers for similar organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity. He was also a member of the camp’s board of directors when he was asked to take over.

Geiger says the organization keeps its projects low key and looks for opportunities where they can be “revealed and discerned to meet the true needs of families.” The work camp likes to develop relationships with the people they help, paying attention to see if individuals or families reveal other important needs they’re not sharing or addressing — be it financial, money management, depression or anything else.

“We’re looking for what the heart displays as a real need,” Geiger says. “We’re trying to go in as if we had God’s human eyes to see how to help someone.”

The camp does not advertise or publicize, but instead receives referrals to help people whose funded services have come to an end.

“We believe if it’s a need, it’s going to come to us,” Geiger says. “It takes faith. God is directing [us] for a purpose each time. We keep God out front leading all we do and give God the glory. That’s the defining difference.”

How Atlas Roofing Helped

A few years ago, Geiger met Bill Taylor, an Atlas sales rep, at an Atlas Roofing show and the two struck up a conversation about Geiger’s work with the camp. He told Taylor about the many handicap-accessible installations (e.g., ramps, steps or grab-bars) they do, as well as painting and other improvements, but also mentioned how re-roofing is one of their largest and most intense projects. 

Wanting to help out in his own way, Taylor submitted a donated product request through Atlas, which resulted in getting the Carroll County team the supplies it needed for a recent repair on the roof on a home owned by a pair of elderly brothers.

Atlas donated 18 squares of Atlas Pinnacle® Pristine shingles featuring Scotchgard™ Protector in Pristine Desert, along with Atlas Summit® 60 synthetic underlayment, Atlas ProCut® Starter Shingles and Atlas ProCut® Hip & Ridge shingles, which also feature Scotchgard™ Protector.

“I was inspired because, as a representative of the Carroll County Work Camp, Mike Geiger is a stand-up guy,” Taylor says, “the kind of person that exudes top-notch morals and ethics.”

The work camp was grateful for the materials.

“They are some of the best roofing products available,” Geiger says, “and they helped us make the brothers’ home safe again. Atlas also stands behind its products with some of the best warranties in the business, which we at the work camp really appreciate for the kinds of projects we do.”

Life-Changing Donation

Geiger says the roof on the brothers’ home had been leaking, allowing water to get inside the house and mold to flourish.

Thanks to Atlas shingles, Geiger’s volunteer team was able to repair the damaged roof and get rid of the mold — during the only small window of time they had without rain in between two weeks of constant showers.

“We gave the brothers a much better living environment,” he says. “The house could have potentially caused some major health problems.”

The brothers’ new roof reflects the remarkable value found in Atlas Roofing products. Unlike most other shingle manufacturers’ 40-year warranties for comparable shingles, Atlas provides a transferable Lifetime Limited Warranty against manufacturer defects and 130-mph Wind Limited Warranty. Because of the products used, the roof also qualifies as an Atlas Signature Select® Roofing System, which includes a premium protection period that increases the warranty period and includes non-prorated labor and materials coverage, among other benefits. The Atlas Lifetime Algae Resistance Limited Warranty against the black streaks caused by algae is available when all of the components of a Signature Select Roofing System are installed.

For more information about Pinnacle® Pristine or other Atlas shingles, visit the Atlas Roofing website. To learn about the continued work of the Carroll County Christian Work Camp or to volunteer on a future project, contact Mike Geiger.