In 2015, four veterans in Kansas City, Mo. discovered that many of their homeless comrades were slipping through the cracks of other programs. The four of them wanted to find an affordable way to get veterans off the streets quickly and create a community where they could feel supported.
That’s when they started a non-profit called Veterans Community Project (VCP), and today, thanks to their determination, two hundred forty square feet is changing the lives of many homeless veterans in Kansas City.
VCP is building 50 “tiny homes” to provide transitional housing in a development they call Veterans Village. Each home includes a full kitchen, full bathroom, twin bed, desk and table.
The homes are about the size of a backyard shed and cost $10,000 to build and furnish. VCP aims to move veterans in starting spring 2017.
This month, more than 200 Team Depot volunteers helped VCP build the first 10 homes.
“The group’s very first prototype home was built with materials from The Home Depot in Lee Summit,” said Maryann Bracken Operations Assistant Store Manager. “We got to know them very early on and have been partnering with them for about a year.”
Volunteers who worked on the homes wrote encouraging messages on the studs before hanging drywall.
“I’ve done a lot of projects with Team Depot in my seven years with the company and this one is my favorite,” Maryann said. “This one has touched so many people and has so much potential for our city.”
