“To a homeless man, home is literally where the heart is.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana
Have you ever thought about the teenagers who have aged out of foster care? How will they survive in the real world? Where will they stay? Are they going to be just fine by themselves?
Pivot Inc. has also asked the same questions but failed to get the answers. That’s why they decided to do something about it, hoping that they’d get the answers that they were looking for.
A Tiny Home Community – for a better future!
They built tiny homes just right behind their Pivot offices in Oklahoma.
The tiny homes were situated there so that the teenagers (who live there) can still visit them and ask for advice or any other services that the organization offers.
They simply believe that,
“…the tiny home movement is a viable solution to give a home to these young people who are desperately in need of a place to live.”
They also know the importance of having a home and living independently.
“Living independently is one of the most empowering influencers to successfully transition youth into healthy, productive adults. When housing and basic needs are met, stress is reduced and youth have space to develop the necessary skills for longer term success. By continuing to foster trusting, therapeutic relationships throughout their transition, these young people begin to recognize opportunities for positive change.”
They are not just giving the teens homes, they are giving them hope.
With the help of kind volunteers, they were able to put up and furnish tiny homes that would serve as these kids’ first step towards independence and hopefully, a brighter future.
“Having a bed’s gonna be different,” said 19-year-old, Carter, who was also the first teen to move into the tiny homes. “I sleep on a couch right now, so I’ve a lot of back problems from it.”
Carter’s father is currently in prison, while his mother already passed away when he was just 10 years old.
Now that he’s aged out of the foster care system, he’s basically homeless.
According to him, he’s been to a homeless shelter, tried couch surfing for a while. Lately, he’s been staying with his sister’s adoptive family.
It’s not only him, but hundreds of other homeless teens are also making that adjustment to adulthood. Just like other people, one primary thing that they need is a safe place to stay.
The Tiny Home Community project is more than just 4 corners and a roof.
According to Pivot Inc., each home offers a complete package of a home.
Each of the tiny homes is packed with a bed, a small kitchen, and a bathroom. Their target is to serve the youth that is between the ages of 16 to 19.
Their ultimate vision is to build a beautiful community of 84 homes on their campus.
Needless to say, this project is a lifesaver for homeless teens, like Carter.
It’s more than just a comfortable place to live in and a roof to protect their heads, it’s more than all that. It’s more of gearing them up to the many battles of adulthood.
Living in the tiny homes would certainly teach them about surviving independently, deal with day-to-day expenses, responsibilities, as well as learning both basic and critical life skills.
The first two months of stay in the tiny homes are free, but will gradually increase as they stay longer. It ranges from $100 (2-4 months), $125 (4-5 months), and $150 if they get to stay there for more than six months.
There is also no cap on how long they can live there.
On the day of the ribbon-cutting, President and CEO of the organization, Jennifer Goodrich, pointed out that housing was missing from the services that they offer.
“[We are] able to serve them in a way that, again, lets them show that they have the same talents, skills that any other young person in our community has,” Goodrich told journalists that covered the event.
People and organizations like Pivot only prove that people still care about other people. Such a kind act will definitely make the kids’ future brighter and this entire world will be a better place for everyone!
Watch Pivot’s beautiful Tiny Home Community project in the video below.
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