When Jason Geiser, owner of Deco-Crete, and his friend Todd Hershberger decided to establish Patios for Patriots over a year ago, their sole purpose was to give back to the brave men and women who serve our country by designing and constructing concrete patios for deserving veterans.
Since then, the organization has constructed three patio projects and enlisted a small army of supporters and contractors who have provide money, material and labor.
“There are different ways to get involved. You can either nominate a veteran, or donate time or money,” Geiser states. We (Deco-Crete) work with 400 to 500 contractors throughout Ohio and many of them have stepped up to help with equipment and laborers. And when a contractor buys 1,000-1,500 yards of ready mix a year, his supplier is generally willing to donate the material needed to construct a patio that the contractor has volunteered to build.”
With concrete and other materials donated, along with much of the labor as well, Patios for Patriots can get the job done with only $1,500-$2,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, and that’s to construct a pretty elaborate patio.
Selecting a veteran, delivering the goods
The organization serves primarily to select worthy candidates, promote volunteer support and involvement, and then deliver the finished project in a timely fashion.
“We really work hard to qualify the candidates that have been nominated,” Geiser notes. “We talk with family members to get a better understanding of the veteran and what it would mean for them to be honored in this way. We currently have over 20 potential leads we are vetting for future projects, but once we select a recipient, we notify them and the work begins. Typically, we begin moving dirt on a Tuesday, send the recipient away for a few days and then invite them back to their new patio on Saturday.”
One of the projects Geiser takes pride in is the one constructed for Purple Heart recipient Edward Schafrath, who lives in Wooster, Ohio. Keim Concrete served as the general contractor on the project that included a Hardscape Systems’ seating wall surrounding a fire pit and a water feature. Keim installed all the flatwork, including stamping the design with Proline stamps; and DecoCrete worked on the wall and water feature, as well as applying the color hardening for the project.
It was truly a family affair, with Edward’s daughter, Rachel Hoffee, nominating the Vietnam Veteran for the project, and her brother, Eddie, who is a Keim employee, working on the flatwork construction and stamping.
As for the general contractor, Rueben Keim, who along with his brother, Robert, own Keim Concrete, Reuben says he felt privileged to be part of this project.
“I’ve known and worked with Jason for a long time, and I knew Edward’s story based on what Eddie told me,” Reuben notes, “so I definitely wanted to get involved in this project.”
Keim Concrete has 25 associates and constructs projects within 100 miles of the company’s Wooster location. As for future Patios for Patriots’ projects, Geiser says expanding beyond Ohio is possible if other contractors are willing to take the lead in developing the program in their market area. It looks like it has a good foundation in Ohio with Geiser and all his supporting partners, like Keim Concrete, as Reuben adds, “We definitely want to be involved with one every year. It’s been rewarding for me and a great way to give back to people who have done so much for all us.”
