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Unified Steel (formerly known as Boral Steel) donated Stone Coated Roofing panels for the first two stick-built houses we built at San Marcos High School (SMHS).  I reached out to Unified Steel’s Territory Sales Manager, Tim Brown and asked if he could arrange the donation of  Stone Coated Roofing panels for the two tiny houses we are building at SMHS and San Pasqual High School. Tim was eager to help [...]

From The Coast News Group: ESCONDIDO — Woodshop students at San Pasqual High School recently raised the walls on a newly built tiny mobile home that, when finished, will house once-homeless veterans. San Pasqual is the second local high school to partner with the Warrior Village Project, a Fallbrook-based nonprofit that teaches young adults future career skills in construction while providing housing for homeless veterans. In 2019, Mark Pilcher started [...]

Ask an architect, general contractor or anyone who installs windows in California what brand of windows you should buy for your home and most will respond, without hesitation, Milgard Windows. So, when I started knocking on doors seeking the donation of windows for our tiny houses, I stopped at Milgard’s window factory and showroom in Temecula.  Fortunately, I met Tammy Bartlett in the showroom.  I explained why I was there, [...]

Jon Hill of the AGC Apprenticeship Program reached out to Milwaukee Tool Territory Manager Claudell Anderson and asked him if Milwaukee could donate tools for our San Marcos High School Design Build Team. Claudell came through with tape measures, speed squares, utility knives, jig saw blades, reciprocating saw blades, gloves, high visibility vests and safety glasses. I’m pretty sure that Milwaukee Tool’s support gave our students just enough extra conficence [...]

Onyx Building Group, Inc. is one of Southern California's premier drywall and exterior building skin contractors.  They specialize in drywall, metal framing, lath and plaster, fireproofing, and air/vapor barriers in the Western United States. ONYX sponsored San Marcos High School’s team at the SoCal Design Build Competition® last month.  ONYX CEO/President Nicole Caya-Winfield was “thrilled to have sponsored San Marcos High School!  Your hard work and dedication truly paid off, [...]

If you are tired of reading stories about how awesome Weyerhaeuser is, don’t blame me.  Weyerhaeuser keeps donating materials to our schools.  Most recently, they delivered a large quantity of decking material to San Pasqual High School.  Teacher Brandon Tarrac knows his way around a forklift and was able to unload the materials himself.  Poway High School teacher Gene Tallon taught us that there are many projects woodworking students can [...]

Squinting in the sun, despite standing in the shadow of their Moveable Tiny House, three of our construction students at San Marcos High School (SMHS) posed with the entry door and pocket door donated by T.M. Cobb that they will install in their tiny house. The entry door is a 2' 8'' x 6' 8'' S2600-LE Smooth- Star - Flush Glazed Fiberglass Door - Internal Blind Low E - IS- [...]

Craig Dawson of The Pelletier Company arranged for the donation of entry doors and bathroom doors from T.M. Cobb for the first two houses we built at San Marcos High School (SMHS).  I reached out to Craig again, asking him if he could arrange the donation of T.M. Cobb doors again for our first two Moveable Tiny Houses to be built at SMHS and San Pasqual High School in Escondido.  [...]

Stephanie Graham, Store Manager of Ferguson’s Vista store, donated plumbing fixtures for our first two houses.  We installed a Ferguson kitchen sink and a vanity in the cottage we donated to Wounded Warrior Homes. I asked Stephanie if Ferguson could donate plumbing supplies for our tiny houses.  She came through with a $5,000 store credit for us through Ferguson Cares.  She coordinated our first order with Tom Corr, Branch Manager [...]

Baker Electric delivers innovative electrical construction projects, specialty services, and renewable energy solutions across all market sectors.  Their experience includes projects in healthcare, education, hospitality/gaming, multifamily housing, solar power, public works and more.  Baker Electric has relied on the leadership of 4 generations of the Baker family. President and CEO Ted Baker created an employee stock ownership plan.  He believes that when Baker team members own the company, they in [...]

Sunbelt Rentals is a strong supporter of our veterans and our students.  Sunbelt loaned us a mini-excavator and trencher to do the site work for our first ADU, and Sunbelt recently helped us with the delivery of the trailer foundations for our first two Mobile Tiny Houses. “With heartfelt appreciation, Sunbelt Rentals wishes to acknowledge the men and women who have bravely served their countries and rightfully earned the honor [...]

Dixieline Lumber & Home Centers donated the lumber and plywood to start the construction of our first two Moveable Tiny Houses, one at San Marcos High School and another at San Pasqual High School in Escondido.  Dixieline General Manager, Tim Lenehan, arranged the donation and coordinated the delivery of materials from two Dixieline yards to the schools. Tim works out of the Dixieline store in Escondido.  The next time you [...]

We are grateful to the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund for awarding the Warrior Village Project a grant of $5,000 through The San Marcos Promise (now Project Next), in addition to $4,000 in 2020 and $5,000 in 2019.  One of the focus areas of the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund is supporting affordable housing and shelter for those in need. In addition to the grants we have received from the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund, Weyerhaeuser [...]

Simpson Strong-Tie was one of the first Sponsors of the Warrior Village Project.  They donated the structural hardware for the first two stick-built houses constructed by our students at San Marcos High School. We asked Angel Leon, Simpson Strong -Tie Training Specialist / Outreach Coordinator, if the company would donate hardware and fasteners for our first two Moveable Tiny Houses that will be built at San Marcos High School and [...]

An anonymous donor advised fund of the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) granted almost $17,000 to purchase the construction plans, curriculum, certification program, and trailer foundation for the Moveable Tiny House that students will build at San Pasqual High School in Escondido. JCF collaborates with individuals and organizations, and leverages philanthropic capital for positive impact.  Guided by Jewish values, the Jewish Community Foundation combines donor-driven philanthropy, investing, and education with trusted, [...]

From the San Diego Union-Tribune: A cottage built by San Marcos High School students over the past few years soon will be a temporary home for a veteran who has undergone a healing program and is ready to live independently. The 400-square-foot structure, technically called an accessory dwelling unit or “granny flat,” will be part of a residential program Wounded Warrior Homes operates for veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder [...]

Dave Span, owner of The Refined Craftsman and a proud graduate of the Palomar College Cabinet & Furniture Technology program, answered the call for help to install the cabinets Brendan Mathews’ Palomar College students built for our first cottage.  Installation of the base cabinets was on the critical path for the completion of our cottage.  Brendan was very busy with a big cabinet installation of his own, so Dave stepped [...]

Sara Kilburn, founder of Bridge Corps, introduced us to Kelly Bailey, Regional Commercial Account Manager for Living Spaces and Living Spaces’ representative to the Building Industry Association of San Diego.  Sara asked Kelly if Living Spaces could help us furnish the ADU we are building for Wounded Warrior Homes in Vista.  Kelly set the wheels in motion.  In no time David Pellillo, General Manager of Living Spaces in Vista, and [...]

I am accustomed to hearing a “Yes” when I ask companies for help for our students and our veterans.  Sometimes I ask in person and I receive a ‘Yes” on the spot.  Sometimes I send emails with my plea, hoping that someone will respond.  I sent an email to Santa Fe Roofing & Rain Gutters to ask for a donation of rain gutter materials.  An hour later, Monte Stewart, owner [...]

When we transported our first cottage from San Marcos High School to Vista, we attached an awesome Wounded Warrior Homes banner to the front of the cottage for the world to see.  When we started planning our ribbon-cutting ceremony, I asked Gene Jennet, Assistant Director of Wounded Warrior Homes, where they got their beautiful banner.  He told me to talk to Monica and Aaron Snyder at Option D Graphics.  Monica [...]

Chris Geldert met Miguel Alvarado, owner of Advanced Tile, on March 22, 2021, at a house under construction in Encinitas.  The site visit was arranged for Building Industry Technology Academy (BITA) instructors by Barbie Davis of Mission West Builders.  Chris told Miguel about our program and the challenges we faced completing our cottages after SMHS had shifted to remote learning.  Miguel said that he wanted to help.  He visited our [...]

Arizona Tile donated a slab of granite for the kitchen countertops for our cottages.  But, a lot of work must be done to convert a slab into a countertop.  The slab must be cut to the desired length and width.  Holes must be cut for the sink and faucet.  Edge pieces are crafted and secured to the top, and the countertop must be polished to a smooth, glossy finish.  Chris [...]

A1 Factory Direct Flooring has been a big supporter of Wounded Warrior Homes for many years.  When Steve Roseberry, co-founder and board member of Wounded Warrior Homes, asked Bob Chamberlain, President of A1, if A1 would help with the installation of vinyl plank flooring in our ADU, Bob didn’t hesitate to say yes.  There is a little ridge in the floor along the ‘marriage line’ where the two modules of [...]

John Page, the owner of Interior Specialties, reached out to the Warrior Village Project, eager to help us with our drywall needs after being told about our project by Prevost Construction. John spoke to Nigel Smith, Manager of the San Diego Branch of L&W Supply, who agreed to sell Interior Specialties the materials for the job at cost. John offered to have his staff install the drywall, although their work [...]

Dudley Insulation, Inc. is a commercial and residential insulation company that provides a range of services and applications.  Dudley’s objective is to establish relationships with contractors and homeowners by providing a quality product, at a competitive price.  On August 4, Marcos and Miguel from Dudley Insulation, Inc. arrived with a truckload of fiberglass batt insulation:  R-38 for the ceiling, R-21 for the walls, and R-19 for the sub-floor.  Operating their [...]

Prevost Construction is a prominent San Diego-based general contractor specializing in all areas of commercial tenant improvements including: Life Science facilities, Class A and creative office environments, foodservice industry, and building re-imaging.  Jamie Prevost is excited for the opportunity with HomeAid San Diego “to collaborate with like-minded individuals who believe in serving our community.  By pooling our talents and resources to make an impact on the lives of those families [...]

In 2002, HomeAid San Diego was founded to fight homelessness by bringing together builders, community leaders, trade partners, donors, volunteers and non-profit professional care providers. I asked Staci Reidinger, President of the HomeAid San Diego Board, if HomeAid could arrange the donation of insulation and drywall for the cottage we are building for Wounded Warrior Homes. Within a week, she had enlisted the help of fellow board member Jamie Prevost, [...]

On March 14 - 16, I attended TinyFest California 2021 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.  TinyFests are gatherings for those curious about the tiny-house movement.  It is an opportunity for attendees to tour tiny houses and find out what it is like to ‘live tiny’, hear presentations about zoning and building codes, learn about the costs of tiny houses, and meet an amazing community of tiny-house advocates. This was the [...]

Mech One, Inc. is a full service commercial Heating, Ventilating  & Air Conditioning contractor and is certified as a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), a Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE), and a Small Business Enterprise (SBE). Mech One has supported Wounded Warrior Homes for years.  They extended their generosity to the Warrior Village Project by donating and installing a 1-ton mini-split heat pump to [...]

United Electric Supply is a Division of Main Electric Supply, an electrical supply distributor based in Southern California.  Main has fourteen locations with inventory tailored to meet the unique needs in each market it serves.  When Nichole Weinman of JAAM Electric asked Maryann Luber and Nino Gould of United Electric Supply to donate supplies for our cottages, they were quick to say yes.  When JAAM’s electricians came to work on [...]

From The San Diego Union Tribune: A few weeks after a cottage was delivered to Wounded Warrior Homes in Vista, construction students from Montecito High School in Ramona went to the site to add some finishing touches. The 400-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bath cottage was built by San Marcos High students to provide temporary lodging for veterans graduating from the Wounded Warrior Homes program. The nonprofit partners with Warrior Village Project, which [...]

From the San Diego Union-Tribune: A nonprofit that helps veterans has just received what could be called a very special home delivery in Vista. A cottage built by San Marcos High School students was delivered in two sections to Wounded Warrior Homes on Wednesday and Thursday nights, with the pieces lifted up and carefully slid atop a foundation Friday morning. After some finishing touches over the next few months, the cottage will [...]

Our cottage is ready to transport to Vista, and the site has been cleared for the truck and equipment to set our cottage modules on the foundation.  We had hoped to transport our cottage  to Vista before the end of January.  However, a delay in securing a contract for transport services, coupled with a storm of wind and rain, thwarted our plans.  It is not a good idea to transport [...]

Founded in 2009, Pacific M Painting, Inc. is a residential and commercial painting contractor operating in San Diego and Inland Empire counties.  Pacific M’s leadership team consists of Jeff Mullin, President, Mike Hunsinger, VP, and John Mullin, CFO.  Between the three of them, they have been painting in San Diego County for over 30 years.  They have seen markets come and go and generations of painters move through their ranks.  [...]

Dan Epstein is well known as the Founder of The ConAm Group, one of the top privately owned apartment management/ownership firms in the country.  I learned about Dan and his wife Phyllis at the ribbon   cutting ceremony for the Veterans Center at Cal State San Marcos that was funded by the Epsteins.  I was surprised when Dan called me with an offer to help our students and our veterans after [...]

Receipt of the building permit for our first cottage at a Wounded Warrior Homes residence in Vista kicked off the next phase of our project - the start of site work.  We ‘broke ground’ on Saturday, December 5th.  Twelve volunteers, including a team of four Seabee volunteers from Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303 (CBMU-303) did excavation and trenching work for the foundation and underground utilities.  Jon Hill from Associated General [...]

No one knows who first said: ”No good deed goes unpunished.”  But, when you live in the most litigious state in the most litigious country in the world, it is wise to heed the warning.  When I asked Mike Amos who I should talk to about liability insurance for our project, he said without hesitation, Robert L. Hemme, President of Strachota Insurance Agency, Inc.  Robert and his associate Deena Evancik [...]

I have known Mike and Debi Amos since they built our dream home for us in Fallbrook in 2009.  Their company, MLA General Contractor, Inc., did a beautiful job on our house, and they have been good friends ever since.  When we started the Warrior Village Project, one of my first actions was to seek Mike’s wisdom, gained from building custom homes for over 30 years.  For the last two [...]

The Associated General Contractors of San Diego County (AGC) has been a steadfast partner of our program.  AGC Training & Apprenticeship Instructors Jon Hill and Alan Jurgensen taught carpentry skills to our students at San Marcos High School every Thursday when school was in session.  Jon supervised the excavation for the foundation and recruited fellow instructor Larry Paredes to supervise the construction of the forms for the foundation for our [...]

One of the AWFS® member companies who answered SWM’s call for donations to support school woodworking programs was Royal Plywood Co. of Cerritos, California.  The company contributed over $50,000 in materials.  Arriving in two flatbed trucks, it included laminated panels and multiple species of hardwood.  They also shipped materials from Roseburg Forest Products in Oregon.  Dave Golling, Vice President of Business Development at Royal Plywood said: “We are just thrilled [...]

Member companies of the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS®) are big supporters and advocates for Career Technical Education (CTE) programs.  AWFS® companies partner with high schools with the intention of hiring students at graduation; offer internships and teacher externships; visit schools as guest speakers, and; open company operations for school tours. AWFS®  has supported the SkillsUSA organization for many years with the donation of materials and the time [...]

Lumber collected by the Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM) for school woodworking programs was distributed from the Architectural Woodworking Company (AWC) plant in Monterey Park, CA.  Saul Martin, VP of Manufacturing for AWC, opened the plant to woodworking teachers on three Saturdays so that they could load their trucks and trailers with wood to take back to their schools. “SWM wanted to do something that would impact as many woodworking [...]

Our Building Permit for the installation of our first cottage at a Wounded Warrior Homes residence in Vista was issued on 5 November 2020, exactly 6 months from the day that the County of San Diego logged our plans into it’s tracking system.  This kicks off the next phase of our project, starting the site work.  Starting on 5 December, a team of Seabee volunteers from the Construction Battalion Maintenance [...]

Obtaining a Building Permit is a slow, time-consuming process that can seem like an impenetrable maze of obstacles and hurdles.  It involves reviews by numerous discipline experts in many different departments, in several agencies in different jurisdictions, lots of forms and a host of approval stamps.  The process has become slower because of the protocols put in place to protect the people involved from COVID-19.  But, we have achieved an [...]

Concrete, consisting of portland cement, sand, gravel and water, is a critical component of construction projects.  Concrete will be poured for the foundations of our cottages.  Jon Hill, Instructor in the AGC Apprenticeship Program, asked Dave Weintraub of Robertson’s Ready Mix if Robertson’s would donate a load of concrete, 9 cubic yards of 3,000 psi Concrete Pea Gravel Mix, for the foundation of SM #1.  This much concrete is expensive.  [...]

Cosmic Solar & Roofing installed a solar system expansion at my house two years ago.  I contacted Cosmic because they were highly recommended by neighbors who had solar systems designed and installed by Cosmic.  I was very   happy with their work and have recommended them to     others.  Pey Shadzi, Cosmic’s Operations Manager, has  advised me about solar requirements under our new building codes.  They are a great group, so when [...]

You read in our August newsletter that the Building Industry Technology Academy (BITA) curriculum has been updated to include solar system installation.  Students will build a mock-up roof to hone their roofing and solar installation skills.  We asked Will Picquelle, owner of Temecula Roofing Co., if he could donate some asphalt shingles for this project.  His response: “Thank you for the opportunity to assist you on this project.”  He even [...]

The Navy Construction Maintenance Battalion (CMBU) 303 has volunteered to help us with site work for SM #1.  CMBU-303 is a shore-based command within the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force aligned with the West Coast Seabees under Naval Construction Group 1.  They are an integrated active and Reserve unit homeported in San Diego with an active duty detachment in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and Reserve detachments in San Diego, Port Hueneme, California, and [...]

I learned about Sunbelt Rentals at the opening ceremony for a home the Gary Sinise Foundation built for a Marine in Vista.  Sunbelt is a big supporter of the Gary Sinise Foundation.  So, when I asked for help from Michael Clonts and Richard Busto, Managers of the Sunbelt stores in Vista and Escondido, respectively, I was pretty confident that they would say yes  - and they did, enthusiastically!  They will [...]

The State of California requires that all new Single Family Dwelling Units have automated residential fire sprinkler systems installed.  New Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are also required to have sprinkler systems if the Single Family Dwelling Unit where the ADU is installed has fire sprinklers.  Fortunately for us, Symons Fire Protection, Inc., a Building Industry Association member, has offered to plan and install fire sprinklers in SM #1.  When our [...]

Providing utilities for our cottages is one of the more challenging tasks facing us.  It will be a little different for each cottage.  It helps to have an advisor that understands the technical requirements and the process for working with SDG&E.  Our first cottage, SM #1, will be installed at a Wounded Warriors Home residence in Vista.  Tom Perez, Senior Project Manager for EPI (The Engineering Partners, Inc.), visited the [...]

When we started building our ADUs we were on a steep learning curve.  We looked for companies from which we could learn about building a cottage in a “factory” and transporting it and installing it at a residential site.  We discovered that USModular, Inc. is the preeminent Factory Built Home Builder in California.  We toured their factory in San Jacinto, CA twice.  We watched USModular install their homes on permanent [...]

July 17, 2020 (Source: San Marcos Unified School District Website) Dear SMUSD Community, Earlier today, Governor Newsom ordered that all schools in counties located on the state’s COVID-19 County Monitoring List “must not physically open for in-person instruction” until certain conditions are met, namely, that their county has come off of the state’s Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days. As of Friday, 33 of California’s 58 counties are on this [...]

We are grateful to the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund for awarding us another grant of $4,000, which is in addition to a $5,000 grant that we received from Weyerhaeuser in November 2019.  One of the focus areas of the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund is supporting affordable housing and shelter for those in need. Lana Bru, Finance and Planning Manager for Weyerhaeuser’s Southwest & Southern California Region, said “the Warrior Village Project is [...]

JAAM Electric is an active member of the Building Industry Association of San Diego County.  So, when Mike McSweeney asked Nichole Weinman, General Manager of JAAM Electric, for help with our cottages she was quick to say yes.  JAAM will be donating the electrical materials and installing the electrical system in both of our cottages.  Our intent was to have our students ‘shadow’ JAAM’s skilled electricians to learn more about [...]

Doug Williams started WillCalc with a mission to assist in bringing clean, comfortable, energy efficient systems into the local environment, believing that each of us should make a contribution to a better world.  In addition to 30+ years as a licensed building contractor, Doug has been a Certified Energy Analyst (CEA) since 2007, and a California Certified HERS Rater since 2005.  He has used his expertise to help Michael E. [...]

On June 11, Department Head, Joseph Lucido, and Adjunct Professor, Riccardo Ferguson, from the Department of Architecture at Palomar College accepted the Architectural ‘baton’ from Michael E. Robinson.  Joseph will be our Project Architect and Riccardo will be our Architect of Record for future Warrior Village Project cottages.  Joseph has big plans for increasing the involvement of his students in the Warrior Village Project and growing the relationship between Palomar [...]

Michael E. Robinson has volunteered considerable time as our Project Architect and Architect of Record for our first two cottages being built at San Marcos High School.  We are very grateful for his contribution to our program.  We could not have accomplished what we have without his expertise and guidance.  On June 11, Chris Geldert presented a custom crafted thank you plaque to Michael for his support of our students [...]

Each cabinet in a kitchen is assembled with a variety of hardware pieces that hold the individual cabinets together, and connect them together into a beautiful wall of furniture.  Wurth Louis and Company donated all of the  hardware for our cabinets, including all of the fasteners needed to assemble and install the cabinets: #7 5/8” wood screws; #8 1”, 1-¼” and 2-½” wood screws; 1-¼” and 1-½” 18 ga. crown [...]

ESI (aka Edgebanding Services, Inc.) donated four rolls of 1 mm x 300’ of ESI Cannella Oak tape banding to finish the edges of our doors and cabinets, and two rolls of 1 mm x 300’ hardrock maple banding to finish the edges of the interior shelves.  That is 1,800 feet of edge banding for two sets of kitchen cabinets.  Thank you ESI for your generosity!

Brendan Mathews wasn’t satisfied with building nice, functional cabinets.  He wanted to build beautiful cabinets for our veterans!  So, naturally, he wanted to finish the cabinets built by his students with a textured melamine laminate finish from American Laminates.  Jennifer Ruder and Melvin Hardy from the Palomar College Department of Interior Design worked with Mia Roseberry of Wounded Warrior Homes to select a beautiful laminate finish material from dozens of [...]

What are cabinets without drawers:  boring and not very functional!  When Brendan Mathews asked Chris Kish at DBS (aka Drawer Box Specialties) for help, Chris not only promised to donate drawers for our cabinets, he said “Thank you for allowing us to participate in this fantastic event.”  Thank you DBS and Chris Kish for your generous donation of 24 drawers and two double trash bin units for our two cottages.  [...]

To be functional, cabinet doors must be hung with hinges, and cabinet drawers must have drawer glides so that they can be easily opened and closed.  Brendan and his students are building Euro style, frameless cabinets which require specific hinges and drawer glides.  Fortunately, when Brendan asked Blum, Inc. to donate hardware for our cabinets, Brent Akenson of Blum was happy to support our students and our veterans with the [...]

A lot of materials are required to build kitchen cabinets.  The starting point is the plywood that is used to build the boxes and doors for the base and wall cabinets.  Brad Irvine, Manager of Saroyan Hardwoods in San Marcos, contacted Saroyan’s plywood supplier, Timber Products Company, on our behalf, seeking plywood for our cabinets.  Randy Lambert, Daniel Libolt and Kassy Stout of Timber Products arranged for the donation of [...]

When Craig Dawson contacted T.M. Cobb’s Branch Manager Marty Gibbons and Outside Sales Rep Sandra Whitworth seeking the donation of doors, they were happy to help.  They arranged for the donation of two beautiful fiberglass, single lite, French entry doors with integral blinds as well as two interior bathroom doors. Ask our friends at The Pelletier Company about their selection of T.M. Cobb doors, and tell them you appreciate The [...]

The Pelletier Company is co-owned by Pete Pelletier and Craig Dawson.  Mike McSweeney has known Craig Dawson as his door and window supplier for his contracting business for over 20 years.  So, when we needed doors for our cottages, Mike asked Craig for help.  Craig went to work contacting his door suppliers on our behalf.  Craig coordinated the donation and delivery of two entry doors and two interior doors from [...]

A lot of work goes into building a home that often goes unnoticed, including the survey work required to obtain a building permit.  This ‘behind the scenes work’ is expensive.  So, we were very happy when Hunsaker & Associates San Diego offered to do the site survey for our Wounded Warrior Homes cottage for free. Hunsaker’s services include land planning, civil engineering, survey and mapping, and support services such as GIS and visual simulation.  [...]

I have shopped at two of Fan Diego’s four stores, so I know what a great selection of fans and lights they carry.  I have also experienced the great service that Fan Diego associates provide their clients.  So, I just knew that she would say yes when I asked Jessica Cooper, Manager of the Fan Diego store in San Marcos, to donate ceiling fan/lights for our cottages.  And, my instincts [...]

Classy Closets of San Diego has been serving the San Diego area for many years, organizing and perfecting customers’ current homes, their future homes, and even their businesses.  Our veterans will have beautiful, efficient, custom closets thanks to the generosity of Classy Closets owners Kate Monaghan and Gary Pavitt.  Kate is working with our Palomar College Interior Design students, Melvin Hardy and Jennifer Ruder, to maximize the functionality and appearance [...]

As we reported in our January Newsletter, Rick Hoehn came off of the retirement bench to help us with our plumbing.  Prior to retirement, Rick H. was a plumbing contractor who worked closely with Rick Millwee, now the owner of RM Plumbing Inc.  They ’got the band back together again’ to help us with the installation of our plumbing.  Rick M. donated plumbing materials and tools for our project, and [...]

The de Jong family is well known in San Diego County.  Their story is a classic tale of immigrants pursuing the American Dream, arriving from the Netherlands in the aftermath of World War II with little more than a strong work ethic and boundless faith in their adopted country.  The de Jongs have been instrumental in the development of North County.  Virtually every child in San Diego grew up drinking [...]

When I go into a business to ask for help for the Warrior Village Project, I never know what kind of response I will receive.  Businesses are inundated with requests for donations, and they can’t possibly accommodate every request, no matter how worthy the cause.  So, it is always nice when an Owner or Store Manager responds enthusiastically to my request.  That was the reception I received from Tony Sparrow, [...]

Ferguson donated 2 beautiful vanities for our cottages.  However, one of them, with a granite top, was too big for our compact bathroom.  We could use the granite top on the other vanity if we could get it cut  to size and polished.  Project volunteer Bill Bradford talked to Juan Pacheco, owner of JPR Stone Surfaces.  When Bill explained to Juan that the granite was for the Warrior Village Project, [...]

Most of the calls I receive are ’robocalls’, so I usually do not answer my phone if I do not recognize the caller.  But, for some reason, when Greg Dettwiler called, I picked up the phone.  I was glad that I did.  Greg’s company, G.J. Gardner, had just completed the construction of a new home in Fallbrook.  They had 38 sheets of exterior OSB sheathing left over. Our friend, Jason [...]

Stephanie Graham, Manager of the Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery in Vista, was quick to say “Yes” when we asked her to support the Warrior Village Project and San Marcos High School by donating plumbing fixtures for our cottages.  She donated kitchen sinks and bathroom vanities.  The sinks are top-of-the line, and the vanities are pretty fancy for our humble cottages.  But, I have confidence that our Interior Design [...]

Gary Warth, award winning reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune, visited our build site at San Marcos High School on January 10.  He subsequently published a great article, ‘Students learning building skills by creating homes for veterans’ in the January 14th online edition of the Union-Tribune (January 15th hard copy edition).

Our cottages are being constructed in modules.  When the modules are set on a permanent foundation, they will be bolted together along the ‘marriage line’ where the two modules come together:  at the floor joists, at the end walls, and across the top at the ridge beams.  This requires large bolts that can withstand California earthquakes.  With four modules, and a marriage line length of about 70 feet for each [...]

One of the core values of Harbor Freight is giving back to the great communities where they live, work and serve, with their philanthropy focused on K—12 Education, Veterans and Police & Fire. An associate at the Harbor Freight Tools store at 820 Civic Center Drive in Vista told us about Harbor Freight’s Giving Back program. Through this program, Harbor Freight donates Gift Cards to schools that can be used [...]

Our students will soon be installing a Water Supply system and a Drain- Waste-Vent (DWV) system (aka plumbing) in each of our cottages. The word plumbing comes from the Latin word for lead, plumbum, because the Romans used lead pipes to distribute water (before we knew that lead was toxic!). King Minos of Crete had the first flushing toilet over 2,800 years ago, but we weren’t aware of the importance [...]

H.G. Fenton Company creates Lifestyle Opportunities where Employees Flourish, Residents Live Well and Businesses Succeed. H.G Fenton also sponsors the Green Build Tech Academy at North County Trade Tech. The Academy was founded to fuse specific “Green” STEM education with college and career preparation programs, specifically in the construction and engineering design sectors. We are grateful to the H.G. Fenton Company for a $1,000 donation to The San Marcos Promise [...]

Our students have pounded a lot of nails (and bent quite a few!) with framing hammers in the last 4 months. But, they are also learning how to use labor-saving and time-saving power tools, like nail guns, to prepare them for careers in construction. While ordering supplies from HD Supply White Cap, Jon Hill, one of our AGC instructors, asked HD Supply if they would donate a couple of [...]

The Building Industry Association of San Diego County has asked members to support our program by donating materials, journeymen to teach our students, as well as dollars to purchase tools and materials. Guy Asaro, President & CEO of Meridian Development, shrewdly took advantage of Black Friday savings to acquire and donate a motorized 12” compound miter saw (with free stand) and an 8-piece DeWalt 20 volt tool kit (drill, impact [...]

Most builders use factory-built roof trusses when building homes. But, our students are building our trusses to maximize their learning experience (and to test their knowledge of trigonometry!). Our vaulted, mono trusses look simple, but difficult, small-angle saw cuts are required to build them. To ensure that we build all 44 of them correctly, we sought expert help from Jon Lazarus and Scott Eskridge, the owners of Aloha Lumber [...]

We are also grateful to the Henkel Corporation, the world’s #1 adhesives producer. Jason Blacklock, a 1988 graduate of San Marcos High School, learned about our program when he was touring the campus during his wife’s 30–year SMHS reunion. Jason contacted us to tell us that his employer, Henkel Corporation, wanted to help. Henkel is donating Loctite PL Premium Construction Adhesive, and OSI branded sealants (Quad Max, Quad Foam, Quad [...]

Dan Jestand, Manager of the Sherwin-Williams store in San Marcos, was quick to say “Yes” when we asked him to support the Warrior Village Project and San Marcos High School by donating painting supplies for our cottages. He is waiting for a call to tell him we are ready to paint. Dan also offered to give our students a tutorial on paints, painting tools and paint application techniques. He and [...]

We are grateful to the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund for a $5,000 grant. Weyerhaeuser Company began more than 100 years ago with 900,000 acres of timberland, three employees and a small office in Tacoma, Washington. Founded in 1900 by Frederick Weyerhaeuser, the Company has grown to become one of the largest sustainable forest products companies in the world. Weyerhaeuser manages the most sustainable, versatile resource on earth: forests. Weyerhaeuser employees [...]

Thanks to a gift from Johnson Level, our students will be learning new building skills with new, professional quality, Johnson Level tools. For over 70 years, Johnson has been supplying innovative solutions in the Level, Layout and Measuring product categories. Today, Johnson is the only U.S. based supplier offering a full spectrum of levels, lasers and layout tools to help professional tradesmen do their work more accurately, quickly and reliably. [...]

We are also grateful to The Home Depot Foundation, which awarded The San Marcos Promise a $5,000 Community Impact Grant for the Warrior Village Project. Since the first The Home Depot store opened in 1979, giving back has been a core value for the Company and a passion for its associates. Today, The Home Depot, in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, focuses its philanthropic efforts on improving the [...]

We are also indebted to Reliable Wholesale Lumber, Inc, who donated the lumber for our first two cottages, and rushed us enough lumber to start building the floors. Reliable is a Building Industry Association member and a great friend to the California Homebuilding Foundation. Randall Richards, EVP of Operations & Sales, quickly responded to our request for help. Reliable has been a staunch supporter of the Building Industry Technology [...]

We are grateful to Boral Steel for its donation of Stone Coated Roofing panels manufactured in its Oceanside, CA plant. Boral has offered us a choice of three different panel profiles in five different colors. They are all beautiful, strong, long-lasting and energy efficient. Boral has a long and proud history of supporting the communities in which it operates. Boral is committed to being a socially responsible and valued member [...]

We are grateful to The Grainger Foundation for a generous $5,000 donation to The San Marcos Promise for the Warrior Village Project. The donation was presented in the SMHS workshop, in the form of a suitably large check, by Carlos Ramirez, Manager, Branch Network, Grainger, Inc. (San Diego 723 & San Marcos 721). Carlos was joined in the check presentation by his Grainger colleague, Meggan Ochoa. Receiving the check [...]