Tiny House, Huge Impact

Building Friendship and Community:

The Journey to Creating a Nonprofit Tiny House Initiative

When two women with a shared vision come together, incredible things can happen. That’s exactly what occurred when Diana posed the question to me on a walk around 'Kezar Lake' one day... “Do you want to build a tiny house?”

For as long as I could remember, I had dreamed of constructing a cabin or a small home, but I had no idea where to start. The thought of breaking the process down into manageable concepts was both daunting and exciting. Empowering myself through hands-on work with tools felt like a transformative opportunity. But where do we even begin?

Diana brought a wealth of experience to the table. Only a few years prior, she had worked with her son on his senior high school project to build a tiny home, and she had also spent time on construction sites. I, on the other hand, had limited exposure to tools and building projects. However, I was eager to learn. Having recently navigated a deeply challenging personal journey, I had picked up new skills along the way, from driving a tractor to roofing a garage to staining the majority of my barn and home alone. I learned in this time that I could accomplish amazing things, including those I had not truly believed were possible. Building a tiny house on wheels felt like the perfect next step—an adventure that would not only teach essential skills but also allow us to create something meaningful.

Together, Diana and I envisioned not just a tiny home on wheels, but a response to the pressing housing crisis facing our local communities in New Hampshire and across the USA, and beyond. Tiny homes can be trailered anywhere, serving as temporary or permanent housing solutions. Their low carbon footprint and minimal resource use make them incredibly sustainable, yet they are built to last—'house strong' in every sense.

These tiny homes can stand alone or be part of a larger community, addressing significant housing needs while providing options for minimalistic living, low impact communities, workforce housing and emergency situations.

Through our certified 501c3 Ampli5E nonprofit, we aim to amplify awareness of these innovative solutions, advocating for a future where everyone has access to safe and affordable housing.

Our journey is just beginning, but the friendship and collaboration that have blossomed through this project are already creating ripples of change. As we move through the adventure of building a tiny home, supported by those who have provided everything from time to muscle to expertise (and yes, some great laughs too!), we invite others to join us in reimagining what 'home' and community means, and how we can transform both in powerful ways! -Marcy Vierzen

Special Thank YOU To Those Who Helped Make This Possible...

• Michael Doheny (New London, NH), For His Knowledge and Time and Thoughtfulness and Breakfasts from Tuckers and For His Endless String of (Eye Rolling But Impressive) "Dad Jokes" (How Does He Retain ALL OF THOSE JOKES In His Mind?!)

• Jim Bryant (Oxford, ME), For His Quick and Effective Problem Solving and His Willingness to Drive Down From Maine or Pick Up The Phone for Our Many Many Questions, and for introducing me to Milwaukee "RED"

• Mike Bourque (Wilmot, NH) for Being Present in So Many Ways And Lending a Hand and Tools and Time. Not Only Did Mike Help Us Rig Up The Lifting Of Our Panels and Roofing With His Simpson Strong Ties, He Was Able to Drill Through The Incredibly Thick And Dense Metal That Had Defied Every One Of Us Beforehand. For His Help, The Tiny House is Solidly Set Atop Its Trailer Foundation. Mike Is a Consistent Force of Positivity, And Has Been An Awesome Cheerleader During Every Step of This Process;

• The Entire Deegan Family (New London, NH)... Carrie, Andy, Aiden & Haley For Showing Up and Helping Us Raise the Panels When We Were In Dire Need of Muscle and People Power!

• Kevin Carr (Sutton, NH) Who Generously Offered His Experience and Time To Our Tiny House Project Despite Having Recently Launched His Own Law Firm. With His Time Limited, We Were Grateful For His Input and Commitment To Moving Us Forward With Our Tiny House Project, All The While Imbuing Our Time With Him With His Irish Humor;

• Brendan Carr (Contoocook, NH) Who Showed Up And 'Saved The Day' by Advising Us How To Use the Irwin Clamps (A Total Game Changer!), And Then Proceeded to Show Us How to Square Off Our Tiny House On Wheels Frame!

• Amanda, Isaac and All of the Staff at Metal Max (Concord, NH) for Walking Us Through the Metal Siding/Roofing Process and For Their Humor, Collaborative Approach, and for the Quality of What They and Their Colleagues Produce;

• Jonathan Doheny (New London, NH) For Coming to The Rescue a Few Times, And For Inspiring us With His Original Tiny House on Wheels Project He Completed as His Senior Project in High School;

• Annie Carr (Sutton, NH) For Jumping Out of Her Comfort Zone And Withstanding Heat And Rain to Cheer Us On And Pick up a Drill And Grinder Along The Way;

• Catherine Vierzen (New London, NH) For Her Support And All of Those Healthy Meals She Made And Brought Out to us as we Pounded Away on The Tiny House Project (And, For Allowing Herself to be Woken up in The Morning To The Sound of Drills and Hammers on Days She Would Have Loved To Sleep In;

• Robin Bryant (Sutton, NH) Who Always Knew When To Show Up With Dunkin Tea and Juicy Oranges and Who Regularly Stopped By Just To Cheer Us On;

• Tesfanesh Seplow (Sutton, NH) Who Was Game To Try Out Any Tool and Ruled The Grinder Within Minutes of Learning How to Cut With It... She Raised The Bar For Willingness to Grab The Bull By The Horns and Run With It!

• Jesse Fenn (Grantham, NH) For Bringing Such a Well Rounded and Expert Recommendations To the Table, and For Getting Us To Envision a Future With Local High Schools and Trade Schools a Greater Part of the Future For Students and Learning;

• Milwaukee & DeWalt Tools for Providing Us Countless Hours of Jabbing... "Which one is better... red or yellow?" (I'm a red girl... Michael and Dee are team yellow but I may be switching them over!)

• Pups Luka, Gimpy, Magee, and Mallory (New London, NH) for Poking Their Noses Through The Fence Patiently Observing Us Every Day, And For The Hours of Entertainment They Provided Every One Of Us (And Those We Clearly Provided To Them!)