Avid Donates Internet Infrastructure to the Veterans Community Project Tiny Home Village!
By Shelby Fuchs, Marketing Communications Specialist
If you’ve tuned into any of the local news or national news outlets lately, you likely saw a story about the Veterans Community Project (VCP) in south Kansas City. This idea, centered around providing housing to homeless Veterans, was sparked by three Veterans who believed that communities could, and rightfully should, be doing a better job of providing housing solutions and a variety of other services to the men and women who bravely dedicated their lives to serving our country.
Though the founders originally explored the idea of buying a former school for the Veterans to stay in, they soon realized that the Veterans didn’t want something that felt like the crammed homeless shelters they’d experienced previously. They simply wanted a space that felt like a home of their own.
Enter the idea of tiny homes.
Tiny homes are exactly what they sound like except they provide a functional living space; room for a bed, kitchen area, and bathroom. When I toured one of the homes, I was shocked to see how much space these tiny homes really do offer. The founders of VCP decided to build a Veterans village out of these tiny homes, each one unique with different paint trim and a small yard. In doing so, they were able to unite a group of former servicemen and women in one common area, yet still give each home individuality like any other neighborhood.
Avid’s Role
So what has been Avid’s role in this project? The Veterans village is set to have Google Fiber installed. In the meantime, Avid has provided the village with a fixed internet wireless connection and switches to help them with their internet needs. We also installed internet access points in order to give residents and guests wireless internet in their homes.
When I attended the dedication of the village, they mentioned the crucial role internet connectivity and reliable technology in general will have in setting the Veterans up for success in finding new careers. The Veterans will have the opportunity to utilize VCP services that give them basic computer knowledge and increase their skill sets. This in turn will strengthen their confidence and ability to pursue future career interests.
We’re happy that we were able to contribute technology solutions to this cause pioneered in Kansas City. And we look forward to seeing the promising development Veterans Community Project has for Veterans across America in the future!
