At Corvus Construction, we’re always looking for ways to give back and make an impact. For our most recent Corvus Construction in the community project, we didn’t have to look far to find the perfect fit for giving back. As regular volunteers at the Faith Family Foodbank, we’ve been following their progress in creating the Faith Family Village to help house families who are experiencing homelessness, and we knew it would be the perfect way for us to help people in need right here in our community.
We decided to put some man hours into helping them get their new pallet homes ready for occupants, and our crew had a blast setting them up, cleaning, and then decorating the homes. We even enlisted our youngest volunteers, who did such an amazing job of adding some kid-approved touches to help brighten the spaces and make them even more inviting. While we were helping the first weekend, we realized that there were still lots of items waiting to be purchased on the Village’s wish list, and some of those items were crucial to them opening the homes to residents.
First up on the list of needs for the Village was ladders for their bunk beds, so we ordered them 7 more so each bunk would have their own ladder. We delivered them during the next work party after having our crew assemble them at the shop, and then we started putting the mattresses and the linens on the bunks so they would be all ready for residents.
Next up on our list to gift the Village was a way to light the paths around the homes so residents could access the bathrooms safely, so we donated boxes of all-weather string lights that they can leave up year-round. These lights are perfect for their exterior fences and for the pathways, which will not only provide much-needed light, but also make the outdoor spaces even more inviting.
It was fun work, and we had a blast coming together with our community to make Faith Family Village a reality. I’ve seen firsthand the impact it has had on so many families since it opened this spring, and it’s amazing that we could be a small part of such a big project.
More info about the Faith Family Village housing project
The Village is located on the Faith Lutheran Church property, and has the ability to house up to 32 people for up to 90-day stays. All the units are reserved for families with children, filling a huge void in other temporary housing options. Many shelters in the area separate families as they don’t allow men and older boys with women, which leaves families without a place to turn to in an emergency and pushes many of them to the streets.
The Village housing is created by Pallet, an Everett-based company, that makes temporary shelters quickly — less than an hour per unit. Don’t be fooled by the name though, these aren’t homes built out of actual pallets. Instead, the units are made of aluminum and insulated panels, which give residents a measure of privacy and much-needed protection from the elements.
Note: If you know someone in need: Interfaith Family Shelter is managing the pallet homes and will be admitting families, accepting referrals from schools and 211 as well as taking calls on their intake line and submissions on their website. Interfaith will also provide families in the shelter with help transitioning to permanent housing.