On April 28th, 2023, Operation Finally Home, Huntsville High School, and Lowe’s Home Improvement hosted a dedication ceremony for two custom-built tiny homes and accompanying sheds at Huntsville High School. The Career and Technical Education (CTE) students and teachers, along with other donors, supporters, and suppliers, partnered to construct the tiny homes and sheds, which will be moved to FOB Ten Mile Ranch at a later date. These homes will provide transitional housing for deserving military veterans.
Daniel Ascencio, Senior CTE Student at Huntsville High School Zachary Crocker, a Junior CTE Student at Huntsville High School, along with his father, Jar, and mother Shiloh. Tara and Roger Burnett speak at the Homes for Huntsville Heroes dedication ceremony at Huntsville High School on April 28, 2023. 
Huntsville High School CTE Students Ribbon Cutting Huntsville High School CTE Students Present a Shed They Built
Ten Mile Ranch, owned by Roger and Tara Burnett, has been the family’s home since 2002. The couple established FOB Ten Mile, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, as a way to serve and provide safe housing for the nation’s veterans. These are the second and third homes to be placed on the property through the charity, with the first tiny home and shed dedicated on September 24, 2022, to U.S. Army Captain Billy Joe (B.J.) Shotwell.
Tara Burnett is also the Executive Director of H.E.A.R.T.S. Museum. She expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership: “The Homes for Heroes programs that we’ve partnered with alongside the CTE at Huntsville High School is life-changing. We are literally changing the lives of veterans one tiny home and shed at a time.” She added, “The students are learning amazing, valuable skills they can carry into the job market once they graduate high school, and the veterans are gaining a safe, secure place to live.”
Zachary Crocker, a junior at Huntsville High School, shared his thoughts on the project: “Entering the CTE program, I thought it’d be cool to make a cutting board or build a little bird house. I realized this was so much more of a project than it was.” He continued, “I think it’s really cool to be part of something that’s so much bigger than myself.” As for the impact on veterans, Crocker said, “It means a lot to me. I’m going into the Navy when I graduate. The fact these houses are going to veterans makes me feel really good.”
Daniel Ascencio, a senior at Huntsville High School, spoke about the project’s significance: “This project was detrimental in helping build my character.” When asked about the importance of this effort for veterans, he responded, “These houses should be going to the veterans because they almost gave up their lives for our country and our freedoms. We should be doing more for the veterans.”
To learn more about FOB Ten Mile and its mission, visit their website at https://www.fob-ten-mile.com/. Operation Finally Home is a nonpartisan/nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to provide custom-built, mortgage-free homes, transitional housing, and home modifications to veterans, first responders, and their families. To learn more about Operation Finally Home and how you can contribute to their cause, visit OperationFinallyHome.org or find them on Twitter and Facebook.
Watch the full dedication ceremony below.
