Posted by Bruce Wood on May 10, 2023
 
Humble ISD high school students help build tiny homes for homeless veterans and learn new skills while doing it. These veterans are provided a sense of community and safety when they are provided with an opportunity to live in one of these student built tiny homes and get off living on the streets of Houston.
Some Humble ISD students are learning teamwork, architecture design and construction skills while building “tiny homes” for veterans needing a little temporary help with their shelter arrangements.
 
These veterans are provided a sense of community and safety when they are provided with an opportunity to live in one of these student built tiny homes and get off living on the streets of Houston.
Lake Houston Rotarians heard about this project from some of these students and their instructors during their weekly luncheon meeting at the Lake Houston Family YMCA in Kingwood on Wednesday, May 10th.


 
Students are learning real world skills designing and building “Tiny Homes for Big Heroes” for local veterans according to Summer Creek High School teacher James Gaylord and Kingwood Park High School teacher Missi Taylor.
 
These “Tiny Homes” are built and designed by the students from the ground up. This year they will have completed four homes to donate.
 
They work with local licensed architects to review plans; local suppliers to discuss building materials and how to fit supplies into a budget; local contractors and craftsmen to review construction methods; local electricians to learn how to pull wires, label them and set up an electrical panel; a master plumber to learn how to “plumb” a house, receive training from industry experts on construction safety; a logistics team to evaluate the design and the foundation and to make adjustments to facilitate the lift and move of the home to its final destination when it’s donated to the Langetree veterans’ community in Liberty, Texas.
 
The impact on the students is profound. “I love the hands-on activity,” said one.
 

 
They also speak to community groups and Humble ISD elementary and middle school students and local government officials throughout the Houston area.
 
Other student groups on campus get involved to help our veterans too. They include auto collision classes who refurbished a vehicle donated to the veterans’ community; computer classes who built a CPU for the veterans’ community; and Ag Mechanics who designed and built BBQ pits for the veterans to name a few.
 
Students are also able to meet and visit with the homeless veteran who will inhabit the home the students built. They see firsthand the impact of their efforts to serve others.
 
They also work with the Langetree veteran community mowing lawns, cleaning, cooking, and with home maintenance.
 
The veteran stays in the home while transitioning back into society. When they’re back on their feet, they move on and another homeless veteran is given the opportunity to live in the home.


 
Operation Finally Home, the Lowe’s Foundation and the Greater Houston Builders Association have provided funding for 24 homes in this program. There are a number of other donor partners providing grants and in-kind services or supplies.

For more information regarding "Tiny Homes" visit https://www.humbleisd.net/bigheroestinyhomes.
 
Our members live and/or work in the greater Lake Houston area. Guests interested in learning more about Rotary are welcome to attend one of our regular meetings in Kingwood and/or Summer Creek.

Meetings are held weekly from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., most Wednesdays at the Lake Houston Family YMCA, 2420 West Lake Houston Pkwy. in Kingwood.
 
The Summer Creek Satellite Club meets the 2nd and 4th most Tuesdays of the month from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., at Generation Park's 3rd floor Nimble Office Suite, 250 Assay St., Houston.
 
Additional information about Rotary and membership is available here: https://lharotary.com/page/who-we-are-what-we-do .