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Five Navajo families to receive $79k in roof repairs in Laguna Creek LLC, East Valley church volunteers and roofing company three-day collaboration

OLJATO-MONUMENT VALLEY, UTAH — The white tattered plastic on top of a Navajo elder’s home flutters in the wind as it is held down by a few weathered 2x4s. Inside, torn insulation pushes through the warped drywall as summer approaches.

Though the Navajo Nation has a home repair program through the local Chapter House, too few of these elders have transportation to make the more than two-hour drive to obtain the necessary bids for processing an application. Long home repair waiting lists and limited funding across the nation also hinder progression or hope. Adhering to K’é, a Navajo’s cultural and spiritual commitment to mutual generosity and compassion, the employees and family of Laguna Creek LLC, along with 100 volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Gilbert, will repair the roofs of five elders and homeowners with disabilities to ensure they are well protected from temperatures that can soar into the 100s and drop as low as the 20s. Romco Roofing of Mesa, Ariz., has volunteered to serve as project manager to ensure everything is completed successfully and up to code.

“Giving back is more than just writing a check,” said Wyatt Redshield Gilmore, a Navajo who grew up in nearby Kayenta, Ariz., and CEO of Laguna Creek. “It’s about being present, connecting with people, offering your time, and getting your hands dirty to make sure the job is done right.”

K’é (pronounced “k’eh”) translates roughly to kinship, relationship, or compassionate connection, but encompasses a broader belief in interconnectedness and mutual responsibility. Gilmore, who created Laguna Creek in 2024 to aid the Navajo tourism industry as a one-stop tour, hotel and restaurant booking and property management digital platform, gives 10% of his company’s net profits to Indigenous peoples.

Laguna Creek will provide $50,000 for the repairs and solar, which includes equipment, supplies, and materials. Romco will also give more than $20,000 for labor and additional supplies. QXO has also donated about $9,000 in roofing materials. Along with the countless hours of volunteer work by employees and friends, the homes, many which lack electricity, will be equipped with solar by Navajo Power.

The repair work, starting at 9 a.m. MST on May 28, will culminate with a sheep butchering and gratitude dinner on May 30. Former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez will speak at the dinner and offer a prayer at group gathering site, located about six miles from the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park entrance.

Sarah Nez, a community health representative working in this valley that straddles the Arizona-Utah border, is pleased to see these much-needed repairs completed.

“They won’t have to spend so much money to buy firewood or propane,” Nez said. “These are the people who really need the help.”

For Gilmore, giving isn’t a one-time undertaking.

“This community raised me and taught me the importance of K’é throughout my life,” Gilmore said. “This is only a small start to what we hope to accomplish in the future because this is our ‘why’ as a company. We want to become as successful as possible in order to benefit as many people as possible.”

Photos, video and B-roll will be available starting at 7 pm on May 28 here. The location site coordinates are: 37°01’18.8″N 110°09’36.6″W, near Mile Marker 2 off Highway 163.

About Laguna Creek LLC

Laguna Creek was created in 2024 as an all-in-one digital platform for property management, point-of-sale and tour booking created for Navajo and Native American tourism operators. Its goal is to help entrepreneurs save on commercial merchant fees and subscriptions, allowing them to grow their businesses and keep more tourism dollars on Native land to benefit Indigenous people. The company was founded by Wyatt Redshield Gilmore after witnessing the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the Navajo and Native American tourism economy.

Laguna Creek, named after a waterway in Kayenta, Ariz., where Gilmore grew up, believes so strongly in keeping investment on Native land that the company dedicates 10% of all net profits to charitable work on the reservation.

This is the third business for Gilmore. He founded 4 Directions Media, a digital marketing company, in 2016 and co-founded Native American Tours with Leliah Young in 2021. He merged the two tourism digital platforms into Laguna Creek, which now has become the premier booking software for Native American-owned tourism companies. Laguna Creek remains the only 100% Native American-owned property management and point-of-sale system in the U.S. and Canada.

For more information, go to lagunacreek.io.

About Romco Roofing

Romco Roofing is a Mesa-based, family-owned and operated business created by Chris Romney, who has proudly served Arizona statewide since 2014. The company specializes in asphalt shingle and tile reroofs, and offers many alternative options for flat roof applications, depending on the customer’s needs.

For more information, go to romcoroofing.com.