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Giving Day 2019 to support Tiny Homes Village

UNC School of Social Work has pledged all donations from this year’s Giving Day celebration — Tuesday, April 9, 2019 — to support the Tiny Homes Village at the Farm at Penny Lane.

Here’s the link to donate:
http://giveunc.unc.edu/school-unit/school-of-social-work/

With your help on Giving Day, 15 persons with mental illness — including several military veterans — will be able to move into new affordable housing, within a community that fosters activities and interactions among residents.

Tiny Homes Village is an initiative led by UNC School of Social Work in partnership with local nonprofit XDS Inc. and the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health. The village is still in its beginning stages and needs your help to become a reality!

A Look at Tiny Homes Village

Fifteen tiny homes will circle a shared space with walking paths and an outdoor pavilion. Each 450-square-foot tiny home will be fully accessible, with living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. A shared clubhouse will provide facilities for meetings/classes, physical fitness and laundry.

You can see the entire plan for Tiny Homes Village here:
http://tinyhomes.web.unc.edu/

Nearby on the Farm at Penny Lane campus, a community garden (complete with greenhouse, beehives and chicken coop) will provide residents with fresh food and purposeful activities. Tiny Homes Village residents can work in the garden, help train emotional support dogs through the on-site UNC-PAWS (Peer-Assisted Wellness Support) program and participate in a variety of activities, from horticultural therapy to group yoga sessions to nutrition classes.

You can look at the broader plan for the Farm at Penny Lane here:
http://farmatpennylane.org/

Only one tiny home for the project has been completed to date, while the project awaits funding to continue constructing additional tiny homes and the shared clubhouse. The garden and other facilities are already providing services through day visits.

Who’s involved?

Thava Mahadevan (UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health / XDS Inc.) and Amy Wilson (UNC School of Social Work) have worked together on the concept for Tiny Homes Village, with Wilson leading the School’s involvement in this important initiative.

Students from UNC School of Social Work are among the UNC students who are involved with the Farm at Penny Lane activities through internships and field placements.

Here’s how you can help

Please make a gift to SSW to support the work of Tiny Homes Village. Any amount is appreciated!

If you make your gift on Giving Day (April 9, 2019), your gift will be matched by a donor who has pledged a match of $20,000. We are grateful for every gift.

Please follow this link to make a secure online gift to support Tiny Homes Village:
http://giveunc.unc.edu/school-unit/school-of-social-work/