People often say that our future lies with the children. As cliché as it sounds, this belief holds true, which is why we must teach our kids the values we want them to uphold and pass on to the next generation.
A group of students from a Georgia elementary school has been taught a valuable lesson on humanity.
These kids have proven that young people can accomplish great things, like building a tiny house for a struggling Navy vet and his wife.
Navy veteran Eddie Browning and his wife Cindy Browning were living in a run-down camper that had been ruined by a fire. Because of the trailer’s poor state, the couple found themselves freezing during the cold weather. Sadly, they couldn’t afford to have it repaired.
They desperately needed a roof over their head and prayed every night that they would someday have a home.
Eventually, their prayers were answered—and they have children to thank for it.
Dozens of students from Elm Street Elementary in Rome, Georgia, and volunteers built a tiny house for Eddie and Cindy in 2017. The group presented it to the couple at the Georgia Tiny House Festival in Eatonton at the Ooh La La Lavender Farm.
“I don’t have the words to tell you what we feel,” an emotional Eddie, 61, told Fox 5 Atlanta.
The couple was overwhelmed with delight upon seeing their new home. And they were surprised to hear that this project was initiated by school children.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Cindy, 59. “It’s a dream.”
The students had started constructing the tiny house a year before but could not present it to the Brownings because they didn’t have a place to legally put it. Thankfully, the Georgia Tiny House Festival and Ooh La La Lavender Farms organizers heard about their dilemma and allowed them to put it on the farm.
The groups’ act of kindness didn’t stop there. They also assisted the kids in adding electricity, plumbing, and a larger extension to the home.
Eventually, what started out as a really tiny home with only sleeping bags, supplies, and a propane heater grew bigger than anyone had ever imagined.
The spirit of generosity further spread around. Soon, donors, corporate sponsors, and volunteers began pitching to fill the house with amenities and make it livable for the Brownings.
“[This] will be warm,” Eddie said upon seeing the home. “We’ve been freezing to death.”
In a video, the kids are seen excitedly giving a tour of the 248 square foot home during the festival.
“We just made a little tiny house, but now it turned into a huge house,” one student said.
When Eddie and Cindy were finally told that one of the houses was theirs, tears of joy started to flow.
The home is complete with everything that the couple would need. It had a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. It also had appliances like a washer, dryer, refrigerator, and stove. Because of the added features, what was intended to be a tiny home became a second bedroom for Eddie and Cindy.
After the festival, the tiny home was transported to the Brownings’ property in Norwood.
The project was so successful that the Elm Street Elementary School pledged to build a new house each year for a family who needed it. They even have a motto for their mission: “tiny house, big dreams.”
This story proves that young people are capable of making a difference in their communities and that kindness always goes a long way. Kudos to everyone involved in building Eddie and Cindy’s tiny home!
Watch the video below to see the Brownings’ reaction upon seeing their house.
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