Tiny House Raising is new territory for Council on Aging (COA) in Sonoma County,CA, but has proved to be the perfect way to bring the community together on a fundraising project that will culminate in raffling off of this larger-than-life tiny dwelling.
Much like the community “barn raisings” of old, constructing the 171-square-foot dwelling has been a collective effort (albeit over a period of months instead of one day), by what a local newspaper columnist has called a team of “angels with toolbelts”— volunteer contractors and construction suppliers pitching in to bring it to fruition.
Tickets for COA’s first-ever “Tiny House Raffle” are now on sale for $200 for one ticket, $500 for three tickets, and $1,000 for six tickets, with only 1,500 to be sold. A winning ticket will earn a lucky ticket-holder a charming, 171-square-foot tiny house. The winner will be determined with a drawing on June 1, 2016. Proceeds from the raffle benefit Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program, which delivers meals to home-bound, vulnerable seniors.
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, a well-known manufacturer of tiny houses in the city of Sonoma, donated the plans for the compact structure (the company’s “Linden 20 Equator” model) being raffled off by Council on Aging.
When completed, the tiny house will contain one bedroom, a sleeping loft, a bathroom, a fully equipped kitchen, a great room, a storage loft and porch. The tiny house will be mounted on a trailer and can easily be moved from place to place.
Many local vendors, inspired by the cause benefiting from the raffle, have helped keep the cost of building the tiny house to a minimum through their efforts, meaning more dollars will go toward delivering meals to hungry, homebound seniors.
“Words cannot express how grateful I truly am to be of service to Council on Aging. I am honored to have this opportunity to help make a greater difference to our growing senior community,” said Jose Ponce, of Advanced Mobile Tile, which installed tile in the tiny house’s shower and helped with the siding.
“The response was been overwhelming—and gratifying,” said Alyssa Kutzer, Director of Development for COA. “As people volunteer, they are expressing how deeply they care about the cause behind the tiny house—feeding hungry seniors in the community.”
Suppliers/contractors providing materials or labor for the project include ABC Supply, Advanced Mobile Tile, Bigham’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Community Bikes of Petaluma, D&D Drywall, Dax Clark Construction, Easy Breezy Car Wash, EMJ Builders, Empire Floors, Halbert Builders, Healdsburg Lumber, J Lerdahl Construction, Jim Stuart Mobile Welding, Leo’s Roofing, Linn Electrical, Mick’s Door Shop, Mount Storm Forest Products, Pace Supply, Platt Electrical Supplies, Premier Bath & Kitchen, Reed’s Trailer Sales, Reliable Hardware & Steel, Rhyne Design, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa Tile & Supply, Spyrka Electric, Swan Plumbing, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, Window Haven, and Wright Bros. Supply.
For information on how to buy tickets, go to www.CouncilonAging.com/Tiny-House.
Council on Aging Services for Seniors is a private 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that has been providing Legal, Financial, Social and Nutritional services for our aging population since 1966. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for our aging community by providing services that promote well-being and continued independence.
Here are a few more photos just taken today.
Meals on Wheels is a program of the Council on Aging Services for Seniors, which distributes no or low cost healthy meals to seniors in Sonoma and Marin Counties with the exception of Penngrove and Petaluma.