On Sunday, a handful of my fellow Rotarians and I kicked off the holiday week by making and serving a "Friendsgiving" meal at the Tiny House Village up on Packer Ave. Turkey, stuffing, corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, buns, pumpkin pie, and the pièce de résistance of these delicious turkey cupcakes for the kids. It was delicious! I don't remember the final numbers, but we must have served about 40 people and made to-go meals for residents with the rest of the food that wasn't eaten during the 1:00-3:00 mealtime. We serve meals every two months at the Day-by-Day Shelter, but this was our inaugeral meal at the Village.
Here's a group shot of us, minus the photographer who prefers his anonymity. It's rare to see shots of people serving the residents because of privacy issues, particularly with minors. One thing that keeps me coming back to these kinds of service opportunities is the chance to interact with people in very different situations than my own. It's important to interact with all walks of life to make connections and remember that we're all human. The more cynical among you might think that it's nothing more than virtue signaling to tell stories like this, but in all honesty I think it's just important to be honest and to share the joys of volunteerism. And I've got to say: everyone who came out for a meal was delightful, kind, and put-together. And the kids - they were the best! I've never seen such a community of kids all playing together so nicely. Did you know that the Tiny House Village got the old Smith School playground equipment? I'm very pleased to say that it's getting a lot of use in its new home.
The Village is such a neat idea, and I praise the vision of all groups who brought it into existence. The City was particularly willing to work to update zoning ordinances to bring this project to life. We've never had anything like this before! The Village is for homeless families who need safe, stable housing. Families may live there for up to two years while they rebuild and stabilize. It's an important piece in the structural framework addressing housing security in Oshkosh.
I would personally like to see this model expanded greatly for all kinds of people. For example: imagine a tiny house village for seniors 55 and over. Dwellings like these that are under 500 sqft could be desirable affordable housing options, particularly for those experiencing - or on the verge of - homelessness.
Wherever you go this week and however you celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving! I'm grateful to live in Oshkosh, and I'm grateful to any of you who actually read my blog and engage with the content I put out. You are the best!
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