Salem —   Motivated by a desire to give back to their communities, two local Jewish roofers donated the labor to install a new roof on a Habitat for Humanity project currently under development in Salem.

On a blustery November morning, David Benson and Bradley Sontz were stationed high atop an old brick building on One Harrison Street. They were braving the wind in order to help two families they have never met achieve the American dream of home ownership.

Benson and Sontz were volunteering their services to Habitat for Humanity, an international organization committed to creating affordable housing for low-income families. The vacant building on Harrison Street, which was formerly used for light manufacturing, was gutted and is being reconfigured into two, three-bedroom units. A Vietnamese and a Dominican family, who both underwent a rigorous selection process, expect to take ownership of the new homes in January 2009.

Benson, who owns Aspen Roofing Services in Salem, learned about the Habitat for Humanity endeavor because he is a Rotarian who regularly volunteers for community service projects. He contacted his longtime friend Bradley Sontz, owner of Max Sontz Roofing, to see if he could help. Sontz was happy to oblige. The roofers and their crews used material donated by Beacon Sales of Peabody. Benson estimates the value of their gift at approximately $10,000.

Both Benson and Sontz are generous about donating their skills to charitable causes. As a member of Temple Beth Shalom in Peabody, Benson has helped repair the temple roof when it is needed. As part of a Mitzvah Day project several years ago, Sontz installed a free roof for an individual who had contacted Jewish Family Service of the North Shore about his need.

Sontz, whose father, Sidney, and grandfather, Max, were both in the roofing business, saw the Habitat for Humanity project as a great opportunity to help. “As a company, and as an individual, I like to do my part to give back to the community,” Sontz said.

“Each week we get new crews from temples, churches, schools and civic organizations who come to volunteer their time to this project,” said Don Preston, board president of local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. “They and the families that will move in do all the work themselves — everything from laying floors to caulking.”

According to Preston, most of the materials are donated. For the Harrison Street units, Moynihan Lunber donated wood, the City of Salem donated the water hook ups, and professional plumbers and electricians volunteered their services.

“It truly takes a whole community to build a house,” said Preston, who hopes to begin work on another project in Lynn in the spring.