The Tiny Homes program held their annual “Notes of Love” ceremony on Jan. 28, inviting students, staff and community members to staple notes of encouragement into the walls of the home currently being built. Later this spring when the home is completed, it will be relocated to the Langetree Retreat in Liberty and given to a homeless veteran.
At Kingwood Park, Notes of Love started after partnering with Operation Finally Home during the building of the program’s third home. The idea originated from a church many years ago that was being constructed and members put Bible verses in the walls. Members of Operation Finally Home saw this and brought it to their company.
Vice President of Operation Finally Home Lee Kirgan has watched the comfort it has brought many veterans over the years, and the great impact it has had on them.
“I have visited with so many veterans that occupy homes with these notes in the walls that had a hard time sleeping at night,” Kirgan said. “When they go to sleep, often their minds go to the dark side. But when they think about all of these notes that are in the walls, it brings a feeling of peace over them.”
Over time, Notes of Love has been used as a way for people to show their respects to veterans. Students, faculty and community members have spent every year writing positive notes into the wall to bring good wishes to the home.
Humble ISD superintendent Dr. Roger Brown said this event is a great way for students to help make a difference in the community.
“In life, it is about what we do to make the world a better place and this is a great example,” Brown said. “You see the work of the students doing this to give back to people that have served our country, and I don’t think there’s any better reward than that.”
For Tiny Homes, the event is also seen as a milestone for the program. It is always held around the time the exterior is completely finished, and the team begins to work on the interior. The idea is centered around taking time out to write notes for the veterans as they start their final push towards finishing the house.
Tiny Homes teacher Missi Taylor said this event brings the good things in life to view.
“It is definitely a mile marker in our program,” Taylor said. “The concept of writing positive notes, Bible verses, anything heartfelt is great to ship off to the house. I think it helps them as they are coming off the streets and this is a chance for them to live life how they knew it before everything happened.”
The students of Tiny Homes see Notes of Love as a great way for the community to show up and support the home being built, while also having encouraging and loving words to the veterans. Senior Summer Hadley, who is also the interior designer of the house, is passionate about showing love to the veterans.
“Notes of Love also shows that there is still empathy for people,” Hadley said. “It makes me feel good inside that we are not alone on this project and the community is with us.”
Dr. Brown has been amazed to see how Tiny Homes and Notes of Love has grown throughout the years and the importance of it to the students.
“The students really see the value of making an impact,” Dr. Brown said. “I really believe the people in the community are good and want to serve and the students saw this and said ‘We can do this’ and it will make a difference to the veteran.”
The best thing about Notes of Love to Kirgan is how he is watching students step up into the world to make a change.
“When you come here, you see how much pride the students have while doing this,” Kirgan said. “There are many problems in the world, but what renews your faith is that the youth is stepping up to lead this next generation.”
