Doggone Good Project

Kiggins village care day

Getting started

HBF volunteers battled the spring rain to help the deserving veterans who live at Vancouver’s Kiggins Village. Lennar Portland’s team of 30 employees came with a mission to make the village feel like home for the residents and their loved ones. The strategy was to improve the landscaping, add accessible platforms to the tiny homes, and to build a run for the resident’s dogs. Kiggins Village operator Do Good Multnomah’s Lisa Horness explains they allow pets to encourage unsheltered people to come inside. “We see people who will self-select out of certain types of programming because they cannot bring their family, their pets with them,”

Kiggins dog at play

Tobin

Village dogs pranced around while they watched all the excitement. One of the residents explained how much his dog Tobin means to him “If I didn’t have him, I would have perished a long time ago.”  He tells us it will make a big difference for Tobin and the other three dogs that currently live here to have a place to play.

First HBF Project to Cross the River

Kiggins Village is HBF’s first foray into helping a shelter in SW Washington. Do Good asked for help to enhance the village, where 20 homes sit upon blacktop.  HBA’s Project Manager Chris McDowell found an area behind the tiny homes for the dog run. Volunteers covered the area with weed suppressing fabric, then others tackled a mountain of mulch to spread on top. Alongside, volunteers dug post holes, while other Lennar volunteers measured and cut fence posts. Meantime, other volunteers and professionals from Pacific Landscape Services put their backs into creating planting areas to soften the edges of the complex. Lennar works with HBF each quarter on a volunteer project in the Portland area, and typically pays for the landscaping experts who bring invaluable support to the efforts.

Lennar volunteers at work

planting

Working it

Dog run

Prep work

HBF carefully plans these “Care Days”, with Project Manager McDowell acting as the commander in chief. McDowell brings in all necessary building materials as well as tools like saws, shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows to use volunteer time as efficiently as possible. Do Good’s Horness praised the efforts, saying “When you build spaces that inspire dignity, you empower people to make those next steps.” Do Good supervises the site 24 hours a day, and provides the veterans assistance with health care needs, job placement, and with their searches for permanent housing.

By the time the Lennar crew put down their tools, the HBF’s Kiggins “Care Day” made a major transformation at the Village. Do Good’s Horness told HBF they are very thankful. “The time, attention, care and community building you put into each project with Do Good is incredible.  The tired volunteers said they are happy to give their time. They leave knowing that their hard work will make life easier for some deserving neighbors and their four- legged friends.

Dog run

Done!

Adding More Amenities

Tables

Gresham High Students

Arrival

In late April, HBF also delivered some new cedar picnic tables to help Kiggins Village residents enjoy their summer. The tables were constructed by students at Gresham High, with materials donated by HBF from our Education Partnership Program. Students at Constructing Hope will assist HBF by building wheelchair accessible platforms for each tiny home later in May. Do Good’s, Horness says these simple acts of service can change lives. “Your work makes our programs feel more like home to our participants and create the environments for all to thrive.” If you’d like to volunteer for one of our projects, contact Chris McDowell, Chrism@hbapdx.org