Stories of Hope, Innovation and Impact

Dr. Ron Dipillo, Executive Director of Suncoast Technical College (STC), joins Zack and John to share an exciting new tiny home building and skilled trade education program. This program gives students hands-on experience in several fields, including plumbing, construction, drafting, and electrical, while also featuring an eco-friendly curriculum that includes solar and composting toilets.

STC started the Tiny House Program in partnership with CareerEdge, the Eppard Family Foundation, and Walt Eppard, who offered financial support for the program.

To learn more about Suncoast Technical College, visit https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/suncoasttechnicalcollege

Visit Operation Tiny Home at https://www.operationtinyhome.org/

A special thank you to Rodello's Machine for our theme song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/.

Alexis Stephens and Christian Parsons started their "Journey with a Purpose" after building their own tiny home in 2015, after a year of dating. The 130 square-foot home is the most traveled
tiny house in the world, having been to 37 states, 16 national parks, and 30 Tiny Home Communities along the way. Together, Alexis and Christian both serve on the Board of Advisors for the American Tiny House Association and the Board of Directors for the Tiny
Home Industry Association.

The Co-Founders of Tiny House Expedition are looking to impact the tiny home world by informing and inspiring others who are on a "tiny" journey themselves. The couple shares many great tips and ideas on
their youtube channel, blog, website, and social media platforms. They offer two E-Courses for people to use as a resource; one is Tiny House, Rich Lifestyle: A Life Planning Workshop and the other is How-To Travel with a Tiny House on Wheels. You can also
watch their docuseries, Living Tiny Legally, which highlights the benefits that may come with tiny living as well as the legal obstacles.

Not only is Alexis and Christian Co-Founders, but they are also now Co-Authors. Their book, "The Beginner's Guide to Tiny Houses: What You Need to Know About 400-Square-Foot Living," was released in 2021
to help people learn about all things tiny.

To learn more about Tiny House Expedition, visit: https://tinyhouseexpedition.com

John and Zack speak with Bryan Meyer, the CEO and Co-Founder of Veteran Community
Project (VCP). This 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in Kansas City, Missouri, is dedicated to supporting every man and woman who took the oath for our country and not letting any veteran fall through the cracks. Bryan,
along with a few other combat veterans, created this organization back in 2016 as a way to stand in the gaps of a broken system that left too many of their brothers and sisters behind.

Bryan is a former U.S. Marine corporal who deployed twice to Iraq. Following
the Marine Corps, Bryan returned home to Kansas City, attended the University of Missouri Kansas City, earning a Master's in Public Administration and a Law Degree.

The villages built by VCP utilize tiny homes to provide veterans
with privacy, a sense of security, and the ability to reintegrate at a comfortable pace. VCP has Veteran services facilitated through an on-site community center that provides the Veterans with mentoring, case management, counseling, and linkage to other programs
and services. There is also a Veteran Outreach Center on-site, where walk-ins are welcome and all services are free.

To learn more about Veterans Community Project, visit: https://www.veteranscommunityproject.org

Visit Operation Tiny Home at https://www.operationtinyhome.org/

A special thank you to Rodello's Machine for our theme, song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/.

Robyn Donaldson, Founder and President of STEM Xposure, specializes in architectural design and building. STEM Xposure is a nonprofit with a mission to give back and mentor others interested in careers in the construction industry as engineers, architects, mathematicians, professional tradespeople, and general contractors. Targeting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, this method of education focuses on learning in coherence instead of in isolation. STEM Xposure, located in Gibsonton, Florida, introduces young minority students to careers in these fields through their virtual architectural design and construction camps. The camps teach the basics of architectural design, including mapping, site investigation, sketching, scaled
drawings, and presentation skills. The 2021 Camp was hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, which was the first time it has been hosted outside of the United States. One hundred twenty students registered/participated in this event, and ten schools from different parts
of Kenya were represented.

To learn more about STEM Xposure, visit: https://www.stemxposure.com

Visit Operation Tiny Home at: https://www.operationtinyhome.org

A special thank you to Rodello's Machine for our theme, song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/.

Bernard Troyer ("Berns") is the BLOCK project manager for Facing Homelessness, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization from Seattle, Washington, that aims to contribute unique passions and skills toward the effort of ending homelessness. The BLOCK project, which started in 2017 as one of Facing Homelessness's programs, acknowledges that relationships are the building blocks for healing our communities. Through the BLOCK Project, members of the community are able to share their backyard with people who genuinely need it by hosting someone experiencing homelessness.

Berns has built every home used in the BLOCK project, with each house designed to achieve the highest standard for sustainability in the built environment. He approached the project with his skills in construction, but his passion for ending homelessness, his heart, and his desire led the project to be successful. Recently, the Block Project has significantly reduced the construction time by prefabricating panels for the homes in the Block Shop and then assembling the house in the chosen backyard. What used to take 3-6 months now only takes six weeks or less, which is a big difference for people living outside in harsh conditions.

For those that do not have the opportunity to host a BLOCK home in their backyard, don't worry! There is also the option to volunteer to build a BLOCK home, volunteer to landscape a backyard, fundraise for the project, procure essential home items, and donate directly.

To learn more about Facing Homelessness, visit: https://facinghomelessness.org
To learn more about the BLOCK Project, visit: https://www.the-block-project.org
Visit Operation Tiny Home at https://www.operationtinyhome.org/

A special thank you to Rodello's Machine for our theme, song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/

Todd McKellips is a social entrepreneur, philanthropist, chaplain, family man and native of Washington State. "What do you NOT do?" Is something he hears quite often! He is a compassionate advocate for people living in poverty, as he has seen homelessness firsthand after a traumatic back injury suffered while working with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department in 2005. Todd is the state chapter leader for the American Tiny House Association, a national effort with affordable housing as its core mission. He is passionate about bringing homeownership to those who can only dream of it. Todd is the director for the Washington Tiny House Association and is currently working with multiple elected officials and advising government entities such as HUD and the Department of Veteran Affairs. He is working closely with multiple non-profits and investors creating truly affordable tiny home spaces for homeless Washingtonians.

Visit Operation Tiny Home at https://www.operationtinyhome.org/

A special thank you to Rodello's Machine for our theme, song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/.

John and Zack are joined by Barb Oliver, Director of Operations for Sound Foundations NW. Sound Foundations NW is a non-profit organization building tiny homes and communities for
the homeless in Seattle, WA.

Barb's organization created an innovative approach to building
high-quality tiny homes through a series of unique templates called jigs to build the
parts of the tiny home: the platform (floor), walls, and the roof. These simple but effective homes are built to last 20 years.

In collaboration with the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), Sound Foundations NW’s primary focus is to provide LIHI with quality tiny homes and support the launch of 13 more villages in the greater Seattle area. For the past three years, Sounds Foundations NW has averaged building two homes every three weeks. With the new assembly line system in place at their new location called the Hope Factory, they can now build up to 4 homes per week.

To learn more about Sound Foundations NW, visit them at: https://www.soundfoundationsnw.org

Visit Operation Tiny Home at https://www.operationtinyhome.org/

A special thank you to Rodello's Machine for our theme song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/

Operation Tiny House @ American Legion Post 511 is a nonprofit serving the Dallas, Texas homeless Veterans Community with innovative programs to provide transitional and permanent housing, job training, and employment opportunities.

Founded by Valerie
Ballard, the daughter of a US Army veteran, Operation Tiny House is bringing together local, state, and corporate sponsors—along with hundreds of individuals—who want to help raise funds and bring awareness to solving the veteran housing crisis.

At the start of the
COVID pandemic, Valerie and her team developed an innovative and impactful program called the Tiny Dining Experience. The program, which converts tiny houses into small mobile restaurants, teaches veterans valuable job skills and allows them to earn their food handling certificate and enter the job market.

Links
To learn more about Operation Tiny House, visit them at https://www.operationtinyhouse.org/

Visit Operation Tiny Home at https://www.operationtinyhome.org/
A special thank you to Rodello's
Machine for our theme song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/

In this episode, we talk about lumber and, more importantly, sustainability within the timber industry.

Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest timber companies in the world. They own nearly 12,400,000 acres of timberlands in the U.S. and manage an additional 14,000,000 acres of timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. In addition to its timberland business, Weyerhaeuser also has wood products used in millions of homes.

Weyerhaeuser recently launched their 3 by 30 Impact Areas: three initiatives and goals in Climate, Affordable Homes, and Rural Communities.

Our guest, Ara Erickson, joins the podcast to discuss her role as VP of Corporate Sustainability, where she is accountable for the development and implementation of the company’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, including three areas where the company is in a unique position to participate:
Working forests contribution to climate change solutions
The role of sustainable products in ensuring housing for everyone
Support for thriving rural communities
Ara is a proven leader who also served as Director of the Green City Partnerships program with a regional conservation organization, Forterra, and a forest-based researcher, environmental consultant, and educator. She received her M.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Washington and her B.S. in Resource Management from the University of California, Berkeley. Today, she serves as a board member for American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States, is a founding steering committee member for the Women’s Forest Congress, and uses her voice to advocate for sustainable, working forests.

Weyerhaeuser is a primary sponsor for Operation Tiny Home’s Building A Better Future for Veterans Program, providing funding and product donations to support us in building a tiny home to help Veterans in need.


Visit Operation Tiny Home at https://www.operationtinyhome.org/

A special thank you to Rodello's Machine for our theme song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/

This is a story of hope, hope for a community after a devastating natural disaster.

On September 4th, 2020, the lives of the Shaver Lake community flipped upside down with the eruption of the creek fire. On September 5th, the Shaver Lake community was evacuated from their beloved mountain, leaving their primary residences, their livelihoods, and life as they knew it behind. In just a few short days, they learned of the destruction and devastation they would find upon their return home. "Heartbreak does not begin to describe the pain we feel for the loss our friends, our families, our communities, and our mountain has suffered."

It was out of this heartbreak, out of this pain, that Rebuild our Sierra was born. Many in the community wanted to help, stand up for their community, rebuild what was lost, and look to the future to ensure more memories for generations to come. From this tragedy, the volunteer-run organization, Shaver Lake Visitors Bureau, launched Rebuild Our Sierra, a grassroots fundraiser.

To learn more about Rebuild our Sierra and to donate to the Live Tiny Project, you can visit them at: https://www.rebuildoursierra.org/tiny-home-program

Visit Operation Tiny Home at https://www.operationtinyhome.org/

A special thank you to Rodello's Machine for our theme song "The World Inside." Visit them at https://rodellosmachine.com/