News

Operation Tiny Homes builds small-scale residences in Oakland for vets

By Andrew Griffin / October 29, 2024

Tiny Home Donated To Native American Veteran

By Scott Carroll / April 11, 2023

Pine Island Wellness at Home teams up with Operation Tiny Home to house displaced islanders

By PAULETTE LeBLANC / pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com - | Nov 9, 2022

Weyerhaeuser Sees Tiny Homes as a Solution for Big Challenges

By Sarah Borchersen-Keto

STEPPING UP WITH OPERATION TINY HOME TO ADDRESS VETERAN HOMELESSNESS

Rescuing wolfdogs, rescuing veterans: Tiny home gifted to rescue founder

Operation Tiny Home – From a Friendly Project to a National Non-Profit Organization

Tiny homes make a big difference to veterans and elderly in need

Tiny Home Partnership

BY ALYSON NELSON | PRINTED IN NOVEMBER 17, 2021 ISSUE - Front Page

At the top of Glenwood Lane on Pine Ridge sits the property of Robert Diaz and Charlene Chambers. Not one tree on that wooded acreage escaped when the conflagration that was the Creek Fire roared through, incinerating their cabin at temperatures so high that metal components and fixtures liquefied, running in molten rivulets downslope.
Although the couple had only purchased the property eight weeks previously, their connection to the land was strong. “Shaver Lake has always been my place,” says Robert. A veteran, he had sunk his life savings into its purchase.
After the fire, the couple spent three months in a hotel, then four months in RV parks, before returning to live on their land in an RV. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Rebuild Our Sierra (ROS) fundraising campaign and the non-profit Operation Tiny Home (OTH), the couple is looking forward to the arrival of a custom-built “tiny home,” hopefully by the end of November.
Recently, Diaz and Chambers had the opportunity to meet OTH board member Zack Giffin, who was in Fresno to give a seminar at The Fresno Fall Home Improvement Show & Tiny House Expo held Nov. 4-6.
Giffin is a co-host of the television show Tiny House Nation and a tireless advocate for the tiny house movement through his volunteer work with OTH and the Tiny Home Industry Association. He’s also a death-defying (to this untrained eye) professional free-skier and ski ambassador for Outdoor Research, and a collaborator with his “genius inventor” father Brian on Zack Rabbit, a quick-change countersink.
Giffin’s open, friendly blue gaze becomes focused and intent when he talks about tiny houses, particularly tiny houses on wheels. “Mobility is what people are looking for,” he says.
“Our country has gone through an active demographic shift,” explained Giffin. For example, according to 2020 US Census data, nearly 50 percent of all American adults are single, and single people living alone comprise 28 percent of all households. “We don’t need to just keep building more houses, we need to build the type of houses that the population needs,” he emphasized. “Legalizing tiny homes inserts that option into the housing spectrum.”
He sees this type of housing as an opportunity for an aging population to downsize, an affordable housing option for students, young families, caregivers and veterans, the ability to move out of harm’s way when a natural disaster threatens, or easing a career relocation; meanwhile freeing up existing housing stock and reducing our carbon footprint. “I’m a capitalist and an environmentalist,” he grinned.
Many states are becoming more tiny house-friendly, with Maine being one of the most accommodating. The state this year passed a law giving tiny houses the same status as traditional single-family dwellings, whether built on a standard foundation or on a wheeled platform towable by a vehicle.
In 2016, Giffin was a signatory on Appendix Q, ultimately incorporated in the 2018 International Residential Code, relaxing requirements in the code as they apply to houses that are 400 square feet or smaller.
“Generally no one’s opposed to tiny homes—we’ve won in the court of public opinion,” said Giffin. “What it comes down to is apathy and unneeded governmental regulation tying the hands of the private sector.”
In Fresno County, according to ROS board chairperson Dylan Johnson, it all comes down to the wheels. Take the wheels off and your tiny home becomes a small footprint manufactured home; with the wheels on its considered an “RV” and you can only occupy it as a residence for one year. ROS and the Creek Fire Recovery Collaborative are pushing for an extension of that timeframe.
Meanwhile, Diaz and Chambers are grateful that their new home will give them the space they need to decide what their next steps will be.
“Our mountain is alive!” exclaimed Diaz. Fire was once a natural catalyst for the rebirth of the forest: Diaz is looking forward to witnessing the beauty of that rebirth.

Suburban Propane Collaborates with Operation Tiny Home and Cornerstone Design Build to Provide Combat-Wounded Veteran a $55,000 Grant Toward his First Home.

Could tiny homes help families who lost houses in the Creek Fire?

The Creek Fire destroyed 853 structures last year, including hundreds of homes.

Rebuild Our Sierra is partnering with Operation Tiny Home to help some families make a quick return to their property.

‘Tiny’ laws: Understand the regulations on your tiny home

An option for some is nonprofit Operation Tiny Home, which offered up to $12,000 in a matching grant for military members and/or spouses, law enforcement, firefighters, pre-K-12 teachers, and/or people with a hardship, such as COVID-19, natural disaster, illness, aging out of foster care, disability and surviving spouse of a military member or “public protector,”.

Tiny home, huge dividends

Staff Sgt. Kevin Inniss and his wife Shanice are living the dream through a grant courtesy of the Operation Tiny Home, a national non-profit organization in partnership with Sutter Home Family Vineyards.

Operation Tiny Home is a nonprofit that helps those in need get access to tiny homes.

Learn more about 'Project Tiny Home' and how you can get involved (FCL January 30th 2020)

Tiny homes have become very popular and now groups are building them for a great cause.

Santa Maria Air Force veteran gets tiny home in hopes to help house other vets

Big dream leads to tiny home project

A tribe comes together to help build a village for female veterans

To Tackle a Big Problem With Housing Affordability, One Entrepreneur Thinks Small - www.nytimes.com

This veteran is building a tiny home community for women vets in California

‘I Was That Woman’: Vet Offers Tiny Homes to Female Vets Who Struggle to Get Back on Their Feet

Tiny home built in Home Depot parking lot to go to a homeless woman veteran

OPERATION TINY HOME TO PRESENT KEYS TO HOMES TO UCAN

ORGANIZATION BUILDING TINY HOMES FOR VETERANS IN ROSEBURG

Tiny homes for a big problem

Group breaks ground on tiny homes for female veterans in Roseburg

Tiny homes for women vets project breaks ground

New project in Roseburg aims to give affordable housing to veterans

Tribal members learn how to build tiny homes

Founder of Operation Tiny Home talks with Brad & John from 92 9 KISM

Doing Well Doing Good For Veterans with Gabrielle Rapport

A gigantic community effort helps build Tiny Homes for Vets

July 6, 2018

Milwaukee (CBS 58)--A Tiny Home for a homeless veteran will get some major help from community members and vets this weekend at Summerfest. These workers are finalizing the exterior of a 200 square foot structure by putting in windows, siding, and doors.

Professional builder Zack Giffin with “Tiny Home Nation” on A & E will supervise the work being done. He’s helped build 15 of these type of houses.  He and the other organizers say each one symbolizes so much more than just a roof over someone’s head.

You can check out this Tiny Home all weekend long at Summerfest. It’s close to the North Gate.  If you know of a homeless vet who needs a place to live or if you want to help build a Tiny Home yourself, Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin can help. And if you're wanting to volunteer to build a Tiny Home, Operation Tiny Home is the organization to contact.

Meetings Give Back to Las Vegas Community

May 14, 2018

The National Hardware Show, held in Las Vegas May 8-10 this year, partnered with Operation Tiny Home to highlight emerging trends in tiny and container home living and raise awareness about housing instability across the country while helping Las Vegas veterans learn valuable furniture design and construction skills. Operation Tiny Home and Zack Giffin, tiny home specialist and the co-host of FYI’s TV Show Tiny House Nation, led a workshop focused on tiny home furniture design and construction techniques in partnership with Milwaukee Tool. Giffin gave exclusive insight into the tips and tricks of designing and constructing furniture specifically for tiny homes, and offered his perspective on how to save space and maximize functionality. The participants, including local veterans and active duty military, had the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the common tools of furniture making while building custom furniture for a container home that will provide housing support to local homeless veterans during the educational workshop.

National Hardware Show attendees made their mark by supporting 2×4’s for Hope at Operation Tiny Home in the Tailgate, Backyard & BBQ section of the exhibition space. Show attendees were invited to visit 2×4’s for Hope, make a small donation and write their name and message of hope on a piece of lumber to be used to build transitional homes to support the Veterans Village Las Vegas. Since its founding, 2×4’s for Hope has helped build safe, secure shelters for homeless veterans, people affected by natural disasters and others who are dealing with housing instability.

During NHS, Operation Tiny Home made a $25,000 donation to Veterans Village, Las Vegas—a local organization whose mission is to create and provide safe housing units for U.S. veterans. Veterans Village also provides an array of services to help veterans, including medical and mental health services, employment training, nutrition programs and more.

In addition, many of the exhibitors at the National Hardware Show donated supplies and equipment to Opportunity Village. Founded in 1954, Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people in the Southern Nevada community with intellectual disabilities, to enhance their lives and the lives of the families who love them.

These Corporate Social Responsibility activities are becoming an increasingly popular aspect of the nearly 22,000 meetings and events that take place each year in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported that in 2017, a record-breaking 6.6 million delegates visited Las Vegas. The influx of events and business travelers heading to Las Vegas each year leave a lasting impact on Southern Nevada’s community through CSR initiatives. The LVCVA works with the meeting planners that organize of these events, event participants and local organizations to make connections that will create mutually beneficial opportunities for all groups involved. Initiatives include volunteer activities, donation drives, charitable contributions and even the commitment to provide materials left on the trade show floor following a large-scale event.

The National Automobile Dealers Association held its annual NADA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center March 23-25 this year and donated $50,000 to the Nellis Support Team, a nonprofit organization whose broad mission includes supporting more than 30,000 airmen and women and their families at Nellis Air Force Base, Creech Air Force Base and the Nevada Test and Training Range in southern Nevada.

“A portion of NADA’s donation will be used to reopen the base’s Auto Skills Center, which was shuttered in 2013 from the U.S. federal budget sequestration that resulted in significant spending cuts,” says Patrick McNaught, a government affairs advocate from Las Vegas who serves as honorary civilian commander of NST. “These funds will be used to renovate the Auto Skills Center—from remodeling the facility, purchasing tools, recertifying the lifts and adding eight service bays and more.” Nellis Air Force Base is located about 10 miles northeast of downtown Las Vegas.

“No one is more inspiring than the men and women in the military,” says Richard Stephens, chairman of the NADA Show committee. “NADA firmly believes in community service and each year contributes to an organization located in the NADA Show’s host city.”

In 2017 CSR activities from several tradeshows, conventions and meetings benefited the Las Vegas area, including the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Biennial Leadership Seminar and the Clean Show.

More than 230 college admission professionals from around the country met in Las Vegas July 23-26 last year for “Guiding the Way to Inclusion,” which was sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. GWI offers enrollment and admission professionals an opportunity to explore issues pertaining to campus diversity and multicultural recruitment and promotes in-depth understanding of college enrollment processes and personal and professional growth. While in Las Vegas the participants worked on a service project to support Clark County students. Workshop participants assembled 500 college kits that are set to be distributed through the United Way of Southern Nevada to local students.

During Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Biennial Leadership Seminar which took place from July 13-16 last year, the group donated thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies, seasonal wraps, and toiletry items to HELP of Southern Nevada’s Shannon West Homeless Youth Center and Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.  Participants also packaged 50,000 meals of donated non-perishable food items for the undernourished around the globe, which are set to be donated to Rise Against Hunger. Serve Our Kids performed 1,908 dance steps for the National Alliance on Mental Health to demonstrate the sorority’s commitment to improve the lives of people with mental illness and dedicated benches in three Southern Nevada parks.

The Clean Show, the largest textile care exposition in the world that features working equipment and industry education, took place in Las Vegas June 5-8 last year. In partnership with the LaundryCares Foundation, Clean Show hosted a Free Laundry Day event at Las Vegas Coin Laundry, which also included educational activities supporting the foundation’s mission to aid childhood literacy.

Las Vegas has been named the No. 1 tradeshow destination for 24 consecutive years by Trade Show News Network, and has hosted 47 of the 250 largest shows. In 2017, Las Vegas experienced a record-breaking 42.2 million visitors. The Las Vegas community is very grateful for those who give back to Las Vegas with CSR events.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the LVCC and Cashman Center.  With nearly 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas and more than 11 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more info, visit lvcva.com.

Tiny home in Oviedo fits the needs for veteran wounded in Iraq

By Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel, April 7, 2018

Marine Corps veteran Peter Banach came home from Iraq in 2007 with a shattered ankle, a broken back and post-traumatic stress disorder caused by an improvised explosive device that detonated near his vehicle in Fallujah.

Returning to his old job as a police officer in New Jersey was no longer possible for Banach. Like tens of thousands of other combat-wounded veterans, he found it a struggle to pay his bills or find a stable, affordable place to live.

Now the soft-spoken 37-year-old former private first class has a new home he can call his own — the latest example of a charitable undertaking to find housing for Central Florida veterans in need. The 360-square-foot Oviedo home was made possible by two nonprofits, Fairways for Warriors and Operation Tiny Home, and a Longwood business, Cornerstone Tiny Homes.

“I no longer have to worry about having to find a new place to live when my lease is up,” said Banach, who will be on hand for a dedication ceremony Tuesday. “I can live my life. I no longer have to have some landlord telling me that I can’t put up the American flag because it is against the rules. This is now my home. And if I feel like putting up the flag, I can put up the American flag.”

For many military veterans facing long-term disabilities — such as PTSD — having an affordable place to live can be the difference between financial stability and spending nights on the street.

On any given night in 2017, nearly 40,000 veterans were homeless, according to a recent survey by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Veteran homelessness last year inched up by 1.5 percent from 2016, primarily in California cities, according to the survey. Since 2010, however, veteran homelessness has declined nationally by 46 percent, in large part from initiatives launched by the Obama administration.

In Central Florida, numerous groups — including the Coalition for the Homeless, the Orlando VA and the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida — and local governments have launched programs to help find suitable housing for veterans over the last several years.

Since 2014, Orlando has helped provide housing to 232 veterans who had been homeless for at least a year. Local officials announced in 2016 that Orlando and Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties had effectively eliminated chronic homelessness among veterans.

Helping make that happen have been efforts by groups such as the nonprofit Home at Last, which has worked with West Orange Habitat for Humanity to build mortgage-free homes for combat-wounded veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Umatilla, Lake-Sumter Habitat for Humanity recently built a Veterans Village of 14 low-cost cottages that provide housing for low-income veterans and their widows.

“It’s a huge problem,” said Tom Underdown, president and founder of Fairways for Warriors, a nonprofit charity organization based in Orlando that helps veterans who have been wounded both physically and psychologically in combat, about the shortage of affordable housing for veterans. “The transition from military life to civilian life can be very difficult.”

Banach had been receiving help from Fairways for Warriors for two years, when Brett Hiltbrand, owner of Cornerstone Tiny Homes, approached the organization looking for a veteran who might benefit from receiving a new low-cost tiny home.

Based in Longwood, Cornerstone builds the stand-alone houses — some the size of a hotel room — and distributes them around the country. Each has a kitchen, a bedroom and small living room.

Hiltbrand came up with the idea that one of his small houses could help a veteran after learning that many struggle to find affordable housing after returning home.

“It just pissed me off that we have this problem,” he said.

So he teamed with the California-based Operation Tiny Home, which provides such homes to combat-wounded veterans. Together they found Banach through Fairways for Warriors.

During a three-day workshop in February 2017, Banach and more than two dozen combat-wounded veterans built Banach’s new home. They pounded nails and cut plywood. They also learned how to install plumbing pipes, set up electrical wiring and erect walls.

“We had one-armed guys drilling. Guys with no legs below the knees putting in pipes,” Hiltbrand said. “We had a guy drive in from Pennsylvania and work the whole time and the next day drive back.”

After Banach’s home was completed last June, it took several months to receive zoning approval from Oviedo and set the house on a lot.

For single veterans struggling with PTSD, a tiny house is perfect because they are low-cost and easy to maintain and have cheaper utility bills.

“It not only provides them with a tremendous amount of self-confidence and freedom, but they also can live a very simple and quiet lifestyle, which many veterans with PTSD prefer,” said Gabrielle Rapport, founder and executive director of Operation Tiny Home. The organization has already helped build 13 tiny homes for veterans around the country.

Banach moved into his new home at a cost of just under $80,000 on Chuluota Road home with his dog, Brucey, a couple of weeks ago. He has already started paying a low-cost, discounted mortgage and feels a sense of pride that he hasn’t felt in years.

“I now have a financially stable place to live,” he said. “I can finally get caught up with my life.”

Unique Housing for Veterans

By Jenna Scotti

The Pennsylvania State University College of Communications, April 6, 2018

Posted on November 10, 2017.

Veterans Construct Tiny Home Benefiting Fellow Veterans During Free 3-Day Tiny Home Building Workshop With Zack Giffin Supported By AT&T

AT&T Contributes $50,000 to Operation Tiny Home as part of Thank Our Heroes Campaign This Veterans Day

McCLELLAN PARK, CA November 10, 2017 — As part of our Thank Our Heroes campaign, AT&T* is teaming up with Operation Tiny Home to host a FREE 3-Day Building a Better Future for Veterans Workshop with “Tiny House Nation” renovation expert and host Zack Giffin. AT&T is making a $50,000 contribution to Operation Tiny Home to help support its programs empowering veterans and providing tiny housing solutions for veterans in need.

During the 3-day workshop, held November 9 – 11, at McClellan Park, veterans will learn basic tiny home building skills while constructing a tiny home that will be used to support Operation Tiny Home’s Building a Better Future program and then donated to a veteran in need. AT&T and Operation Tiny Home are also inviting veteran supporters to visit the tiny home job site to observe the workshop and write a message of gratitude on the 2x4s, donated by 2X4's for HOPE, which will be used in the construction of the tiny home.

“We’re taking a moment to say ‘thank you’ to our nation’s servicemen and women. Not just on Veteran’s Day, but every day, we should remember those who have done so much to protect our country and freedoms,” said Alice Perez, External Affairs Director, AT&T. “AT&T has a long history supporting our military and first responders. And this contribution is one small way we can express our thanks.”

“This is a fantastic opportunity, thanks to the generosity of AT&T, to bring the community together to show our gratitude and support for veterans who are often forgotten after their service is completed,” said Gabrielle Rapport, Operation Tiny Home Executive Director. “We cannot thank our veterans enough for putting their lives at stake to protect the freedoms we hold so dearly and we are honored to be a part of the Thank Our Heroes campaign.”

This is part of a $500,000 total contribution we’re making to local organizations across the country who serve veterans and active duty military personnel. But we’re not stopping with a monetary contribution.

We’re also hosting community volunteer events across the country with local organizations serving active military personnel, veterans and their families.

We encourage everyone to participate in the #ThankOurHeroes social media campaign to show their appreciation. People can upload messages, photos and videos showing their gratitude to veterans using #ThankOurHeroes. Our AT&T and veterans’ organizations’ handles will share throughout the month.

To learn more about our commitments to veterans, click here.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T

AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. The company's signature philanthropic initiative, AT&T Aspire, drives innovation in education to promote student success in school and beyond. With a financial commitment of $400 million since 2008, AT&T is leveraging technology, relationships and social innovation to help all students make their biggest dreams a reality.

About Operation Tiny Home

Operation Tiny Home is a national nonprofit that assists people struggling with severe housing instability to maintain a life of dignity through custom high-quality tiny housing solutions and empowerment training programs. The Operation Tiny Home Building A Better Future Program provides hands-on carpentry and construction skills workshops while building tiny homes for fellow veterans in need.

Muskogee workshop teaches veterans how to build tiny homes

Fox 23 News, Aug 3, 2017

MUSKOGEE, Okla. - A mission to end veteran homelessness took a critical step forward Thursday.

Thursday, Zack Giffin of "Tiny House Nation" and Operation Tiny Home began a three-day workshop in Muskogee to teach veterans how to build tiny homes.

Tiny house built for homeless vet

By Mark Hughes / Phoenix Staff Writer, Aug 9, 2017

A homeless veteran of the Iraqi war will soon have a home thanks to his former battle buddy, an Oklahoma organization and lots of volunteers.

“It’s overwhelming — I didn’t think anything like this could ever happen to me,” said Army veteran Mark Ailshire. “I never asked for it ...”

Ailshire and his battle buddy, Kam McConnell, were in Iraq together from 2006 to 2007 for what ended up to be a 15-month deployment. During that time, the two were subject to indirect enemy fire, mortar rounds and improvised explosive devices, McConnell said.

“From the first morning we got there we woke up to 15 rounds of mortar fire every morning, afternoon and night for 15 months,” he said. The two of them were in their room when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded in a window above Ailshire, and McConnell still has shrapnel in him from the explosion.

Ailshire is married and has four children, but his severe post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, has caused him to temporarily leave his family, move to Muskogee to be close to his battle buddy and live in his car. Ailshire slept on the McConnell’s couch, but they didn’t have the room to permanently house him.

They notified Oklahoma Veterans Project, a nonprofit organization that works with homeless veterans to obtain affordable housing. 

Shanda Heatherly, deputy director of OVP, partners with the national organization Operation Tiny Home. Zack Giffin, lead carpenter and host of Tiny House Nation on FYI network, routinely works with Operation Tiny Home. OVP can only build as many tiny homes as they have funds for and there’s only one other house scheduled to be built.

Giffin and veteran volunteers from OVP and Operation Tiny Home were in Muskogee recently at Indian Capital Technology Center and constructed a 300-square-foot home for Ailshire. A 14-by-22 feet single-car garage is 308 square feet.

The home is fully furnished with all the amenities of a regular house. If built by a contractor it would have cost around $50,000, Giffin said. 

“Getting someone in a house at a certain moment in their life lifts their self-esteem and that self-esteem clearly benefits their mental health.” 

Tiny homes, but a big gift for a vet

San Antonio Express News, May 23, 2017

A two-year construction project that had high school students designing and building tiny homes has come to a close, with one of the homes donated to a veteran who not long ago was living out of his car.

Freddie Rosario, a 15-year veteran of the Air Force who had five deployments to the Middle East, saw the tiny home for the first time on Saturday at Northside Independent School District’s Construction Careers Academy.

As academy students showcased their work, Rosario, 36, said he’s thankful he no longer has to worry about where he’s going to live.

Rosario left the military in 2016 but has been dealing with the aftermath of his wartime injuries ever since: traumatic brain injury, damaged eyesight, nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder. His marriage ended, and he was left without a support system when he transitioned from the military, where he had been stationed in Germany.

“I didn’t care whether I lived or died, that was the honest truth,” Rosario said, recalling the dark days.

“I’ll never have to worry about being homeless again,” the grateful veteran said. “When I heard about this home, it was like a dream.”

Operation Tiny Home, a nonprofit that works to provide tiny homes to veterans at risk of homelessness, purchased one of the student-built homes for Rosario. He plans to take it to Florida’s Patrick AFB, which has an RV park and is close to his three daughters.

At an auction Saturday afternoon, three more of the student-built tiny homes were up for grabs to the highest bidders. Each sold for tens of thousands of dollars, which will pay for materials for the program’s next academic year.

“As parents, we don’t have to sell candy bars or magazines,” said Maressa Taylor, whose son Drew is a sophomore in the program. “We sell houses instead.”

Students in the magnet program choose various tracks, such as architecture, HVAC, carpentry or engineering, which they follow their freshman through senior years. Outside of the classroom, their skills are often in high demand.

Some juniors in the program have been hired to build a lake house, and negotiated a pay hike from $15 to $18 an hour, said Audrey Ethridge, program coordinator for Construction Careers Academy.

“It’s literally real-world work,” Ethridge said. “You can’t just do something and get a 70. It has to be done right.”

Students designed and built everything from dog and play houses, to fully functional tiny homes. The homes on display for the school’s Tiny Homes Showcase ranged in size from around 160 to 224 square feet, each with utilities and working bathrooms and kitchens.

The tiny homes include high-end features such as metal roofs, solar panels, spray-foam insulation, oak cabinetry, LED lighting and Corian countertops.

The school started building tiny homes out of necessity, not popularity, though tiny homes are a big trend in architecture and on TV. Ethridge said they had to do a project that was small enough to fit on campus.

Emily Benton, 18, a senior in the program, will enter the architecture school in the fall at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She designed a tiny home with a 160-square-foot living space, which included a couch that converted into a trundle bed and a wall of windows. The tiny home was on display this year, and won’t go up for auction until next spring — a fact that Benton appreciates.

“You build it from the ground up,” Benton said. “When it goes next year, I’m going to be so sad.”

jhiller@express-news.net

Tiny homes built by local students sold

Seniors from Northside ISD's Construction Careers Academy built tiny homes

ABC KSAT12, May 20, 2017

SAN ANTONIO - While the homes are small, the event Saturday to sell them drew in large crowds.

Over the course of the year, seniors from Northside ISD's Construction Careers Academy built the tiny homes. The largest home was just under 300 square feet.

Lines of people packed into the homes to try and get a look at what they had to offer. There were lofts for beds, a kitchen, a bathroom and living area.

In all, three homes were sold Saturday, priced between $39,500 and $52,000.

Operation Tiny Home was one of the buyers. The organization decided to donate the home to Freddy Rosario, a veteran injured in combat.

"I was amazed. First off, I was amazed that high school students built, you know, built the exterior and stuff," Rosario said. "These tiny homes are amazing. I mean, they really are."

Because the tiny home is on wheels, Rosario said he will be able to take it anywhere.

Know your nonprofit: Operation Tiny Home focuses on helping struggling veterans

The Union, March 26, 2017

Know Your Nonprofit is a weekly Q&A feature with western Nevada County nonprofit organizations.

[Gabrielle Rapport, a Nevada County resident, is the Founder and Executive Director of Operation Tiny Home. Interview by the Center for Nonprofit Leadership]

WHAT IS YOUR MISSION STATEMENT?
Operation Tiny Home assists people struggling with severe housing instability to maintain a life of dignity through custom high-quality tiny housing
solutions and empowerment training programs.

BRIEFLY, WHEN AND HOW DID YOUR NONPROFIT START?

Operation Tiny Home was originally launched in February 2014 to support Mike, a disabled veteran and family friend. Mike was living a quiet and remote lifestyle outside Spokane, Wash., and when our family learned about his dire and quickly declining living conditions, we committed to doing what we could to assist him. Mike's longtime dream was to be able to build his own tiny house on wheels as an affordable housing solution that would give him the stability and
mobility he needed. We launched a crowd-funding campaign that really took off with the support of the community. We raised over $16,000 and received donations from the Home Depot Foundation and local businesses. We were amazed at the level of generosity that came from the community
to make Mike's dream a reality.

It wasn't long after our story got out that other veterans and their families began to contact us with their dreams of going tiny. Tiny home living isn't for everyone, but for those who find this unique minimalistic lifestyle appealing, it provides a secure and inexpensive housing solution and offers a great sense of freedom. It enables them to take control of their circumstances and take action on what is important to them. This is what a life of dignity is all about and something we believe everyone deserves, especially our wounded veterans. This is why we continue to dedicate ourselves to the Operation Tiny Home mission.

WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY SOURCES OF FUNDING?
Individual donations, major gifts, corporate contributions and foundation grants.

HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DOES THE ORGANIZATION HAVE?
We recently transitioned from being a 100 percent volunteer-run organization to now employing one part-time person. Our goal is to secure enough funding this year to develop our operational team to further support program growth.

WHO IS YOUR PRIMARY AUDIENCE, THE PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT THE MOST FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION?
People struggling with severe housing instability that find the tiny house lifestyle appealing; we are currently focusing on supporting low-income and
combat wounded veterans.

WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY SERVICE AREA (SPECIFIC CITY, COUNTYWIDE, THE REGION?)
We are a national organization, but would love to provide services to Nevada County veterans.

LIST THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN YOUR NONPROFIT'S HISTORY (UP TO THREE).

• Our Building a Better Future Program launched in July and has provided hands-on carpentry and building construction training to over 125 veterans across three workshops. Our Tiny Home Building Workshops are free for veterans and focus on creating new employment opportunities and empowering participants with the confidence and know-how to build a tiny home of their own. Participants learn while constructing a new home that is donated to a local combat wounded veteran in need.

• We have provided custom, high-quality tiny homes to five disabled veterans that no longer struggle with housing instability in Spokane, Wash., Kansas City, Missouri, Big Spring, Texas, Racine, Wisc., and Orlando, Florida.

• Bringing on Tiny House Specialist, Zack Giffin, co-host of the popular reality TV show 'Tiny House Nation' as a member of our board of directors and as the team lead for our tiny home building workshops.

WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY GOAL FOR THE NEXT YEAR?

Expand our Building A Better Future Program through strategic partnerships.
Building a solid source of funding to support programs and services growth.
Planning and execution of our Program Public Awareness and Advocacy Initiative.

HOW CAN SOMEONE BECOME INVOLVED WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION?

• Call us at 650-282-3588, send an email to info@operationtinyhome.org (mailto:info@operationtinyhome.org)

• Make a contribution through our website: http://www.operationtinyhome.org (http://www.operationtinyhome.org)

• Become a building partner and/or host a tiny home building workshop; donate building materials and /or supplies; volunteer to support fundraising efforts

• Join our executive leadership team and/or a board committee.

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Tiny home fulfills big dream for Central Florida veteran

Wesh News. Anchor Alex Villarreal, February 6, 2017

A nonprofit dedicated to empowering veterans stopped in Central Florida this weekend to give a local wounded warrior a fresh start.

Operation Tiny Home brought its Build a Better Future Program to the Orlando area for a three-day workshop that runs through Monday.

The program brings veterans together to learn construction skills as they build a so-called tiny house for a fellow veteran in need. The homes, typically 750 square feet or smaller, are a new concept designed to make housing more affordable.

"It's going to change my life financially and spiritually," said Pete Banach, an Iraq War veteran who will be the recipient of the home being built at Cornerstone Tiny Homes in Longwood. "I'm going to be able to be a little bit more free to get out and get more of the help that I need."

Banach served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, doing two tours in Iraq.

"I got blown up in 2007, and ever since that, I've been struggling with a lot of issues," Banach told WESH 2.

PTSD, fractured vertebrae and a shattered ankle are just a few of Banach's struggles. But thanks to Operation Tiny Home, Cornerstone Tiny Homes and Fairways for Warriors, Banach can soon take paying for housing off that list.

Builders say this is the first tiny home that will completely meet Florida building code.

"Tiny houses are historically on wheels," said Brett Hiltbrand, CEO of Cornerstone Tiny Homes. "This house is going to be mounted to a foundation with no wheels. We'll deliver it to the site and attach it in a code-compliant manner."

Those behind the tiny homes project say its aim is to ease the burden of housing instability.

"It's stressful, and for somebody who actually has added stress of coming back from war and trying to reassimilate into civilian life, that a lot of times can be overwhelming," said Zack Giffin, a spokesman for Operation Tiny Home and cohost of the television show “Tiny House Nation.”

"I'm just so happy, and I can't wait until it's done," said Banach, accompanied by his dog Brucey. "This is a new beginning for both of us," he said.

TINY HOMES SEEN AS SOLUTION TO BIG PROBLEM

Journel Sentinel. Meg Jones, July 24, 2016

Mount Pleasant — Scott Wheeler saw the link in an email, Nick Cassell noticed it on Facebook and David Watzlawick heard about it from a friend.

The three veterans immediately sensed the need and came to help build a fellow veteran a place to live. Not just a room but a tiny home outfitted with a bed, couch, refrigerator, microwave oven, TV, DVD player, toilet, air conditioning and heater.

More than a dozen veterans attended Operation Tiny Home, a three-day workshop to learn carpentry and construction skills while building a tiny home in a weekend. The 128-square-foot home on wheels will be used for transitional housing for homeless veterans in Racine. Zack Giffin, co-host of the television program "Tiny House Nation," and Carpenters Local 161 from Kenosha helped veterans operate machinery and build the tiny home from the small floor up to the pint-sized roof.

Cassell, an Army nurse who served in Afghanistan in 2014, had watched Giffin's show for several years and wanted to build a tiny home. So when he learned about the project, he took a day of vacation and drove to Mount Pleasant from his McHenry, Ill., home.

"It was mind-blowing to be into tiny homes and then be able to build one for a veteran," said Cassell, who serves in an Army Reserve unit based at Fort Sheridan. "I don't think any veteran should be homeless. They've done enough for our country, and we should do whatever we can to help them get back on their feet."

The tiny home built over the weekend will be part of the James A. Peterson Veteran Village in Racine where organizers hope to eventually build 15 tiny homes for transitional housing, said Tom Pieske, a board member of Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin in Racine. The plan is to build the village in three phases with five homes in each phase and the tiny homes located next to a larger building for meals, shower facilities, job training and counseling.

The need is great, Pieske said. "If we had six houses done and set on the property, we could have them all filled right now," he said.

Pieske emailed Giffin three months ago after watching "Tiny House Nation" and wondering if tiny homes could be used for Racine's homeless veterans. Giffin got in touch within a couple of days, the weekend workshop was scheduled, materials were donated or purchased with donations and social media got the word out to veterans, most of whom didn't have any carpentry experience. Veterans were paired with Giffin and union carpenters as mentors, and the tiny home quickly took shape.

The tiny house movement is growing in popularity with bestselling books, TV shows like Giffin's and nonprofits devoted to spreading the word of living in small houses with less than 400 square feet.

Tiny houses are much cheaper to build than conventional housing, are mobile and allow homeless veterans to live in a safe, warm, dry place that they can call their own, which in turn gives them dignity and self-esteem. Workshops teaching veterans how to build tiny houses — like the event in Mount Pleasant — give people the skills to build a home that will be used for a worthy purpose, Giffin said.

"You know how they say if you give someone a fish you feed them for a day and if you teach them to fish, you feed them for a lifetime? Well, we're teaching them how to build their own fishing pole," Giffin said.

Giffin noted that the cost of an average home in America is almost $200,000, a barrier that homeless veterans can't overcome. And with veterans twice as likely as American civilians to be homeless — an estimated one in five homeless people is a veteran — tiny houses could be a cost-effective and relatively simple solution.

"When you have this many people without options, the ability to get enough capital to buy a place is beyond them and veterans are a more vulnerable population," said Giffin, adding that it takes an average of nine months to build a home. "But within three days these guys get to see walls go up, electrical put in, framing. You get an awareness within a short time of the construction process."

After hearing about the workshop, Wheeler, an Air Force flight engineer from 1978 to 1995, hopped on his Triumph 800 XCA and rode to Racine County. He missed the first day because of bad weather in Alabama. He lives in Miami.

"I thought — this is kind of cool. I knew I had to be here," said Wheeler, a Desert Storm veteran.

Noting Wheeler's aviation engineering background, Giffin assigned him work mitering window frames, placing fasteners on walls and working on the tiny home's cedar siding.

"He's a perfectionist. I've been putting him on tasks that require patience," Giffin said. "It's supposed to be fun and a learning thing; it's not just building as fast as possible."

Operation Tiny Home has built houses in Texas and Washington state and veterans groups in a half-dozen other states, including Wisconsin, have contacted him for help with transitional housing for homeless veterans.

Watzlawick knows what it's like to live in a tiny house — in Iraq they were called CONEXes, steel shipping containers repurposed into living quarters at numerous U.S. military bases. The Racine man deployed to Iraq twice with the Wisconsin National Guard. He heard about the workshop from a friend and decided to volunteer his time, learning staining techniques and the best way to operate hand saws.

Sweating profusely in Sunday afternoon's heat and humidity, Watzlawick took a break from sawing a sheet of plywood as a hive of activity buzzed around him — carpenters and other veterans carrying two-by-fours, standing on ladders, pounding nails and pulling out tape measures.

"It helps other veterans that don't own a home like I do," Watzlawick said.

Tiny House Nation's Zack Giffin will teach veterans to build their own homes

Inhabitat. Lacy Cooke, July 15, 2106

There are nearly 50,000 homeless veterans every night, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Nonprofit Operation Tiny Home (OTH) decided to help veterans find a solution through tiny homes. Now they’re teaming up with Tiny House Nation‘s Zack Giffin to offer a three-day workshop in Wisconsin to build homes for the James A. Peterson Veterans Village.

The Wisconsin workshop will teach veterans how to construct their own tiny homes, in addition to giving them valuable job skills. The workshop is aimed at all skill levels. Not only will attendees be taught carpentry skills necessary to build their own homes for the James A. Peterson Veterans Village, they’ll learn about design concepts and how to read blueprints. Milwaukee Tools, USA will supply the tools for the workshop. Through the veterans village, Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin aims to give veterans the chance to have stable housing and become “productive members of society” again.

Zack Giffin said in a press release, “Veterans need quality, yet affordable homes, that provide dignity with their living situation, security, and an opportunity to be supported by their country…It’s about recognizing that financial stress and housing insecurity play a huge part in the mental well-being of many of our nation’s veterans.”

OTH said tiny homes can offer “a high level of independence and dignity” for veterans who have struggled with finding housing in the past. This will will take place July 22-24, but Giffin and OTH hope to “jumpstart” more workshop programs around the United States. Other collaborative workshops are in the works for Washington, Tennessee, California, Texas, and Indiana. OTH Executive Director Gabrielle Rapport said, “These workshops are powerful and provide veterans with a sense of purpose and connection to their community.”

BEHR LAUNCHES TINY HOME GIVEAWAY SWEEPSTAKES

The paint company's "Dream Tiny" Campaign will also donate $1 per submission to Operation Tiny Home, a nonprofit that helps veterans achieve stable housing.

Builder. Lauren Shanesy, July 6, 2016

The winner will be able to make their big tiny home dreams come true with their own Tumbleweed residence on wheels, decorated with Behr paint colors and outfitted with premium fixtures from Delta Faucet and Liberty Hardware. The grand prize winner will also receive up to $25,000 in cash and a gift card for up to $1,000 for The Home Depot stores. Three first-prize winners will receive a $500 Airbnb gift card and $4,500 in cash which could be used for a tiny house dream trip, and 20 second prize winners will win a $100 The Home Depot gift card.

Behr will also donate $1 per submission (up to $25,000) to Operation Tiny Home, a nonprofit that helps veterans achieve stable housing. The proceeds will be used to provide a home to disabled veteran named Robert in Texas. Robert was wounded after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Construction has already begun on Robert's home, but a loss of funding earlier this year put the project on hold. Behr's campaign will raise the remaining amount necessary to complete Robert's home.

The sweepstakes runs from Friday, July 1, through Saturday, October 1.

The winner will be able to make their big tiny home dreams come true with their own Tumbleweed residence on wheels, decorated with Behr paint colors and outfitted with premium fixtures from Delta Faucet and Liberty Hardware. The grand prize winner will also receive up to $25,000 in cash and a gift card for up to $1,000 for The Home Depot stores. Three first-prize winners will receive a $500 Airbnb gift card and $4,500 in cash which could be used for a tiny house dream trip, and 20 second prize winners will win a $100 The Home Depot gift card.

Behr will also donate $1 per submission (up to $25,000) to Operation Tiny Home, a nonprofit that helps veterans achieve stable housing. The proceeds will be used to provide a home to disabled veteran named Robert in Texas. Robert was wounded after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Construction has already begun on Robert's home, but a loss of funding earlier this year put the project on hold. Behr's campaign will raise the remaining amount necessary to complete Robert's home.

The sweepstakes runs from Friday, July 1, through Saturday, October 1.

Helping Our Vets

02/01/2016

AUSTIN – The Tiny Home, HUGE Gratitude! Project was recently launched to build a 176-sf tiny home for Robert Howland Jr., a disabled low-income veteran in need of housing. The tiny home includes a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living area and will sustain long-term mortgage-free housing for Howland. This is possible with assistance from the Operation Tiny Home Pay-it-Forward Veteran Housing Program.  The nonprofit collaborates with builders, suppliers, landowners and communities nationwide to provide tiny homes for eligible veterans with severe housing instability.

To kick-start the Tiny Home, HUGE Gratitude! Project, Bo Bezdek, owner of Austin Tiny Homes, generously agreed to build Howland’s home at no profit to his organization. The project also received a $5,000 grant from the Kansha Foundation. Operation Tiny Home launched a crowdfunding campaign on their website to raise the additional $19,998 needed to finish constructing the home.  Once the house is complete, the tiny home on wheels will be transported from Austin to Big Spring, TX where Howland 's sister and brother-in-law offered him a permanent home.
     Howland has struggled with housing instability and homelessness since his honorable discharge in 2003. As a result of time spent in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has suffered with TBI, PTSD and a leg injury that makes walking extremely painful.  
    "Returning to civilian life has not been easy,” he said. “Coming home living with pain and unable to work and care for myself is not something I was ever prepared to deal with.  I never want to be a burden on my family and with a tiny home, I can be close to them, but also maintain independence.  This is the first time in a very long time that I feel hopeful for my future.” 
     Living in Big Spring and near his family will also allow Howland to live just 10 minutes from a VA hospital where he can get the medical attention and support needed for his continued recovery. 
    “Providing a disabled veteran with a home is a powerful way that the community can come together to say ‘thank you’ and show their support to those who have given so much in service to our country,” said Gabrielle Rapport, co-founder and executive director of Operation Tiny Home. “A stable home and the promise of a life of dignity is something we believe everyone deserves, especially our veterans who were injured during their service!”
     Operation Tiny Home is a 100% volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Primary funding for this project is being raised through donations made online at the Operation Tiny Home website. The project has raised $6,915 of its $24,998 goal. You can support the project by visiting http://www.operationtinyhome.org/tiny-home-huge-gratitude-project. For more information, call 650-282-3588 or visit www.operationtinyhome.org –cw

Operation Tiny Home Receives Grant from
The Home Depot Foundation to Build Tiny Home
for Disabled Veteran

New pay-it-forward housing program provides sustainable lifestyle Tiny Homes for people dealing with severe housing instability.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 9, 2015

Grass Valley, CA - Operation Tiny Home was selected as a 2015 Community Impact Recipient and awarded a grant worth $3,000.00 from The Home Depot Foundation.  The Grant will be used to purchase materials to help build a Tiny Home for a disabled veteran living in a rural community near Spokane, WA.

“We are ecstatic to receive both partnership and funding from The Home Depot Foundation,” said Gabrielle Rapport, President of Operation Tiny Home.  “This has been an incredible step forward as we race the clock to finish building this tiny home before cold weather hits. Our goal is to move Mike, the recipient of our Tiny Home, BIG Dream project, into this new tiny home as soon as we can. We’ve not reached our funding goal yet, and we continue to ask for support from those who can help, but we’re just delighted that the momentum is growing.”

Operation Tiny Home’s pay-it-forward housing program is built around the idea that a “home” provides a foundation of health, wellbeing, and an overall increased quality of life. With this goal in mind, their homes are based on beautiful and innovative designs that are comfortable, high quality and energy efficient – far more than simple shelters like what is used for short-term emergency housing. Tiny homes built for their veteran housing program are paid-forward to future veterans in need, maximizing impact for many years to come.

While living in a tiny home may not be for everyone, many people are finding this lifestyle appealing as it can provide a great sense of freedom with a profound impact on their lives, their families’ lives, and the communities in which they live.

The Home Depot Foundation Community Impact Grants Program provides support to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and public service agencies in the U.S. that are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their communities. A primary focus of their philanthropic efforts is on improving the homes and lives of military veterans and their families.  Through The Home Depot Foundation and its ongoing partnerships with nonprofit organizations, The Home Depot donates millions of hours, tools and supplies each year to community service projects, like the Tiny Home, BIG Dream project.  

About Operation Tiny Home - Operation Tiny Home is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that assists people to maintain a life of dignity through pay-it-forward sustainable tiny housing solutions.  The Operation Tiny Home Pay-It-Forward Veteran Housing Program provides independent housing for veterans in need of a secure, safe, and comfortable home. You can learn more about the Tiny Home, BIG Dream program and how to help, here: http://www.operationtinyhome.org/tinyhomebigdreamproject

About Giving Back at The Home Depot - Since the first The Home Depot store opened in 1979, giving back has been a core value for the Company and a passion for its associates. Today, The Home Depot, in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, focuses its philanthropic efforts on improving the homes and lives of U.S. military veterans and their families and aiding communities affected by natural disasters. Through Team Depot, the Company’s associate-led volunteer force, thousands of associates dedicate their time and talents to these efforts in the communities where they live and work. 
 
Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has invested more than $105 million to provide safe housing to veterans, and along with the help of Team Depot volunteers, has transformed more than 22,000 homes for veterans. To learn more and see Team Depot in action, visit www.homedepot.com/teamdepot. 

For more information, contact:
Operation Tiny Home
(650) 282-3588
info@operationtinyhome.org