This book is being used by religious and non-religious groups around the country, in discussions about faith and as an inspiration for interfaith dialogue, charity, and community service projects.
One of the direct results of Albom's conversations with Covington, and the writing of this book, was the establishment of the A Hole in the Roof Foundation. The Foundation helps faith groups of every denomination with programs for the homeless repair the spaces in which they carry out this work. While repairing Covington's church was the first project for the Foundation, it has since worked in areas including repairs to the Caring and Sharing Mission and Orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Additionally, the Author's Note in the book[7] states that, "Per the tradition of tithing, one-tenth of the author's profits on every book sold will be donated to charity, including the church, synagogue, and homeless shelters in this story."
When the book was released, it was the No.1 book on The New York Times Non-fiction Best Seller list for January 10, 2010.[8]
