Operation Tiny Home and Fairways for Warriors Team Up to Donate an Orlando Builders First Florida Code Compliant Tiny Home for Wounded Veteran

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The project to build a high-quality tiny home for combat wounded veteran, PFC Peter Banach, USMC, was spearheaded by Operation Tiny Home (OTH). OTH is a nonprofit that assists people struggling with severe housing instability through tiny housing solutions and empowerment training programs.  In collaboration with Cornerstone Tiny Homes, Fairways for Warriors and Milwaukee Tool, the build is set to launch this weekend with a free 3-day tiny home building workshop for Veterans on February 4 – 6, 2017, in Longwood, Florida.

Operation Tiny Home Board Member and Tiny House Nation, co-Host, Zack Giffin will lead the workshop while participants work together with local industry volunteers to support the project. "Many people have reached out to me, all with the same objective – let's build tiny homes for Veterans. Quality, yet affordable homes, that provides security, makes them proud of their living situation, and allows them to feel supported by their country in a way that would empower them to reach self-reliance," said Giffin.

The tiny home being built is a foundation-based home called The Denali. After a year of working with the State of Florida, it was recently announced by Cornerstone Tiny Homes as their first Florida code compliant tiny house. "We're so excited to be a part of this project and to build our first code approved model to support a veteran," says CEO, Brett Hiltbrand of Cornerstone Tiny Homes. "Many veterans are living on a very limited pension and code compliant tiny homes are not only affordable, they qualify for a mortgage. In many cases, monthly payments come in for under $500 a month, with land included. We're hoping this is an affordable housing game changer for anyone interested in tiny house living, including our veterans that are struggling with skyrocketing housing costs."

Selected by Fairways for Warriors in Orlando, the tiny house recipient is a true American Hero. As a volunteer Firefighter, Peter Banach gave up his career as a New Jersey police officer and joined the Marines after the World Trade Center attack. After two combat deployments in Fallujah, Iraq, he now lives with a 100% service disability rating as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder and multiple injuries from explosions. "It's not been easy at all," said Banach. "The hardest part is the lack of stability. Now that I'll have a stable home and less financial struggle, I'll be able to focus on getting myself better, and on being a better father to my two boys.  I'm just so thankful for all the people that are doing this for me and that I found Fairways for Warriors, they've changed my life."

Fairways for Warriors ("Healing Unseen Wounds") is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that supports combat veterans and their families. Their mission is to help combat wounded warriors with their mental and physical rehabilitation.

"We use golf to get these guys out of the house and create camaraderie and support," says President and Founder, Tom Underdown, "but we also do so much more than golf. We do whatever we can to give these heroes their life back -- job placement support, help with transportation, financial support, and home improvement. And, for Pete Banach, we're thrilled to be teaming up with Operation Tiny Home to provide him with the stable home that he needs."

Over the course of the next year, additional Operation Tiny Home workshops will be held around the country in California, Washington, Oklahoma, and more. "Our focus is to go beyond providing a housing solution, says Gabrielle Rapport, President & Founder of Operation Tiny Home, " Our workshops not only provide veterans with the basics necessary to build their own tiny home, skills are taught that can create employment opportunities. Workshop participants forge personal relationships within their community, resulting in a deeper sense of purpose as they work together to build a home for a fellow veteran that needs support. The impact is meaningful and we want to see many more projects like this one happen in as many cities across the nation as possible."  If you would like to donate to support Operation Tiny Home, please visit http://www.operationtinyhome.org/make-a-donation/

About Operation Tiny Home

Operation Tiny Home is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that assists people to maintain a life of dignity through high-quality tiny housing solutions and empowerment training programs. The Building A Better Future Program Workshops are designed to teach tiny home building techniques to veterans that are pursuing employment in carpentry and building construction, or that have an interest in building their own tiny home.  The workshop curriculum provides practical training while participants build a quality tiny home that is donated to a disabled combat-wounded veteran in need of a permanent home. To make a donation or for more information visit: operationtinyhome.org

About Fairways for Warriors

Fairways for Warriors ("Healing Unseen Wounds") is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Our mission is to help combat wounded warriors with their mental and physical rehabilitation. We define a combat wounded warrior as anyone who has served in a combat theater whether a physical injury was sustained or not. We have found that the invisible wounds are usually more difficult to overcome. To make a donation or for more information visit: fairwaysforwariors.org

For More Information, Contact:

Operation Tiny Home
(650) 282-3588
info@operationtinyhome.org

To learn more and view images visit: http://www.operationtinyhome.org/orlando-veteran-workshop-with-zack-giffin/

Media Contact: Gabrielle Rapport, Operation Tiny Home, (650) 282-3588, grapport@operationtinyhome.org

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SOURCE Operation Tiny Home