Mike Criss, one of several neighbors who joined the crew, said on first day, they built the floors and walls. By the end of the weekend, they completed most of the exterior of the building.
“People came and did what they could,” Criss said. “Many people had never even hammered in a nail before, but no one was scared to pitch in.”
Piece-by-piece, they eventually finished the structure.
“We had so many people who came weekend after weekend,” Richardson said.
Shields said the neighborhood went way beyond just building a tiny house. “There’s a planter out front, and furniture inside,” he said.
The tiny house took a ride to its new home at the Interbay camp on Tuesday, Oct. 31.Criss said that all the participants found the experience to be rewarding. “We all felt we needed to do something bigger,” he said.
Toni Atterbury said that building a tiny house helped the close-knit neighborhood come together in a meaningful way.
“It’s a small thing that we could do – and it’s going to make a difference for someone,” she said. “Change in the world can start in your very own community.”
Richardson agreed. “If everyone does something small, the collective impact will be great,” she said.
Shields said that if other neighborhoods are interested in building a tiny home, Dibble Ave residents would be more than willing to help lead the way.
“We’d be available to tell them how we did it – and maybe even help them get it done,” Shields said. “We can give them a road map.”