First tiny home headed to Runshock Village

Orange-Ulster BOCES celebrated the send-off of the first tiny home built by its carpentry students as it headed to the new Rumshock Veterans Foundation’s tiny home village in Port Jervis.

Students, administrators, faculty and veterans were among those who gathered the morning of Dec. 18, as the home, loaded onto trucks and escorted by Orange County Sheriff’s, the National Guard and New York State Police, began its journey.

“This project is a testament to what happens when the entire Orange-Ulster BOCES community comes together. From the instructors who guided the work to the staff who coordinated the logistics, this has been a true team effort,” said Deborah McBride Heppes, OUB’s Chief Operating Officer. “Time and again, our BOCES community rises to the occasion for a great cause, and today is no exception,” she said.

The carpentry students boarded a school bus to follow the home to the Rumshock site and watched as a crane placed it on its foundation. Students then went inside to admire their work, with some even signing the walls, leaving their mark before drywall is installed.

The Rumshock Veterans Foundation is developing a tiny home village to provide safe, affordable housing and a supportive community for local homeless veterans. Plans call for a small neighborhood of tiny homes, offering veterans dignity and security.