Connecting With People And Our Community—What E&E Is All About

There’s no denying it. E&E has been blessed. Over the past 30 years, we’ve had the incredible opportunity to grow our team and the list of services we’re able to offer our amazing community. And while this has been a gift in and of itself, it’s also given us the ability to do something even more special.

Each spring, E&E shuts down the office and gets the entire team together to knock out as many community service projects as we can in a single day—all free of charge for the homeowner and with a focus on care and lending a helping hand.

Our Community Service Day isn’t something we advertise a lot. The aim is to serve for the experience of giving—not self-aggrandizing—and out of respect for our homeowners, we like to maintain their privacy. That being said, we wanted to share a bit about this special day with you… And here’s why.

Because we want to give you the opportunity to think about the members of your community who may be in need. We hope to inspire you to find a unique way of giving back your gifts and talents. And, at the end of the day, we want to share some about this amazing experience for our homeowners, our staff, and our community at large.

So let’s go. Here’s the story of E&E’s Community Service Day: how we got started, how this incredible day quickly became our favorite of the year, and the ways we’ve found to offer the gifts the Lord bestowed upon us to those of our neighbors, family, and friends who need a little support.

The Birth of E&E’s Favorite Day of the Year

Now, there’s a lot more that goes into running a company than you might think—especially if you want to run a business with intention. One that reflects your personal and communal values.

For E&E, a big part of that is giving back. So E&E’s leadership team started brainstorming ways we could make a difference, and to do that, we started with two humble goals: 

• Find a way to build a culture that’s excited about giving back
• And then look for ways to actually give back!

As we were thinking, we came to a realization. The answer was simple. While we do enjoy sponsoring local youth sports teams and the like, we had something right under our noses that we hadn’t yet thought of donating…

Our skills, tools, and labor…

And lots of it!

So we decided to get our thirty to fifty guys together (all of whom happen to be good with their hands), plus our amazing office staff and organizational team, and got to work. And during the winter of 2020, E&E’s Community Service Day sprang to life.

E&E’s First Community Service Project

With a solid direction laid out ahead of us, we went looking for the perfect project. The team had decided to start with folks we thought might need a helping hand, such as widows, the elderly or disabled, or homeowners who were unable to work around the house for one reason or another.

One of our crew members suggested a woman from his church congregation. She had recently requested a quote for a roof replacement, but had to step away from the job when her husband’s health began rapidly declining. We gave her a call and asked if she wouldn’t mind a free roof replacement…

As you can imagine, she gratefully obliged. And the day was remarkable. The crew showed up, did amazing work, and everyone enjoyed a day of giving and service together. We were hooked… And so we went looking for our next project.

Getting the Ball Rolling at Camp Andrews 

After a successful first project, we decided to lend a hand to a local organization the following year. Camp Andrews is a year-round retreat and summer camp facility that focuses on introducing Jesus to urban youth. 

One of our owners, Michael Esh, had been heavily involved in the camp as a counselor and suggested they could use a hand. In particular, they had a bath house in dire need of some TLC. So once again, we planned the day and the crews got to work.

We were able to knock out a full remodel in a single day: removed and replaced the old siding with LP SmartSide, put on a new roof and gutter system, repaired the interior drywall, and added insulation in the attic to keep the kids warm year-round. 

Once again, everyone enjoyed the work, and we shared a large meal together in the mess hall for lunchtime. Things were heating up and everyone was eager to expand. So that’s exactly what we did.

Moving Forward With An Eager Eye Toward Service

At the time of publishing this article (late spring of 2025), the E&E crews have completed 17 service projects. In fact, this past year, we were able to complete jobs at eight separate locations on the same day.

This is due to the expansion of our team and the level of character we’ve been blessed to receive in our workforce. We think, in many ways, this is directly related to the culture of service our teams foster… And the Community Service Day has been a beaming example of our amazing staff and crews working together to make that goal a reality.

Since that first roofing job, we’ve been able to complete a wide variety of projects for the folks and places that make our community special: residential homes, Paradise Community Park (a place where many local families spend time… Including E&E at our yearly picnic), the Christiana Fire Company’s building, and many more.

And we’re always looking for new service recipients as well. We’ll share our guidelines for that in a moment, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at how we’ve found our community members so far.

How We Choose Community Service Day Recipients

Community Service Day is something the E&E team considers not just one day a year, but the other 364 ¼ as well (can’t forget our leap years).

Our recipients are chosen from a pool of suggestions given by our team and crew members. Most often, these folks are members of our team’s church or local community, many of whom also have a specific disability, physical, or emotional need we wish to support, as well.

So far, we’ve been able to complete jobs for all of our suggested recipients—thanks in part to the following guidelines we use to choose homeowners for these pro bono projects.

• No work can be done for employees (though we do help their family and friends).
• We need to have enough of resources to spread out throughout the day.
• We aim to prioritize homeowners and families who are unable to do the work themselves.

If they meet these criteria, our staff finds something of value we can offer them. (As you might imagine, it’s a phone call they tend to respond favorably to.) And that’s when the fun begins again.

The Guiding Principles of Community Service Day

To keep the day unique, we have a few traditions we strive to maintain on our Community Service Days. While they’re not always possible, our bottom line is.

Keep the focus on love and care and find a way to give!

• Fun: While there are some heavy emotions to go around, we try to keep our service and giving fun.
• Excellent Quality: While the labor for homeowners is free, our crews still do it right—maintaining the same quality we’re committed to with each and every home we work on
• Take Responsibility: Even when not directly involved in a task, we encourage the crews to stay engaged and look for ways to serve.
• Team Lunch: While not required, many of our homeowners like to supply lunch for the crews. If they aren’t willing or able, we grab a stash of pizzas and all eat together just the same.
• Free Labor: E&E brings the skill and labor for the day at no cost. We only ask that materials are paid for ahead of time. Often, family members and community connections pitch in to cover those expenses.
• Employee Contributions: E&E pays all of our workers for the day. However, many employees volunteer to donate their time—just for the delight of sharing their resources of time for another’s benefit.

A Day of Service Is Always One to Remember

Maybe it goes without saying, but the Community Service Day can be an emotional one. Often, our recipients are facing personal difficulties, and to be of service to them during that time strikes the hearts of both the homeowners and our crews.

“What Community Service Day shows me is that the owners of E&E really do have a love for people and the community around them… And being able to be a part of helping make that impact is a blessing to me. I also love seeing the homeowners’ reactions at the end of the day—they’re always so grateful for what the team has done!”

Allan Allgyer | E&E Project Manager

“One of my favorite things about Community Service Day is that E&E takes the time away from a busy project schedule and gets out there to donate their time and energy to the people they care about—and I personally love seeing the joy that it brings to the homeowners!

To me, it exemplifies this scripture: 

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart, then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10”

Mahlon Dienner | Team Lead

“Something I love is working for a company that’s willing to pay 50 of their employees to go out and do a full day’s work even though they won’t profit. I believe it speaks volumes about E&E and what they stand for. It’s amazing to see what it means to the people we do the work for. Some come out and swing a hammer with us, and others are just so grateful to have the work done without having anything asked of them in return.”

Wallie Jurisch | Sales

“What good are we if we can’t give back to some degree. We’re obviously running a business, but we operate with a foundation of faith—and if we aren’t going to be in the hands and feet of Jesus and show the love, we’re doing it all wrong. Keeping people and caring for others is what I love about E&E. There’s always motivation to be there to support people in some way—it’s people first.

Jess Jurisch | Marketing Manager and Designer 

A Look to the Future: More Service, More Connection, More Fun

In just these past five years, we’ve learned a lot about giving. And we’re finding we can’t get enough.

As the years go by, E&E’s goal is to serve more. Our community has given so much to us over these past three decades, and we wish to do all we can to give back—even if our efforts may seem small (so far) in comparison to the blessings we’ve received.

As we move forward as a company, we aim to grow our Community Service Day to greater levels of service. It’s something we believe builds connection, strengthens our community, and makes the world a better place for everyone. And because of all that, we’d like to leave you with this one request.

If you know a member of your community facing a difficult time, please reach out and let us know. Maybe there’s something we can do to help them keep a more sound home in their time of need. And working together—that means with you—we aim to build a better future…

One that serves the generations to come. 

Please let us know who you’d like to see helped out: Community Service Day requests.