Tiny Homes of Vermilion County

07/29/2026

GREAT NEWS!

This one has been a long time in coming (largely because I was/am spread a little thin and delayed things) but I am elated to announce:

WE RECEIVED OUR 501C3 DESIGNATION from the IRS last week!!!

This is a huge milestone and the key to moving from planning to action. Next steps will be:
1. Working with the City to create a site plan and get it approved.
2. Apply for grant funds.
3. Reconvene all the builders who volunteered to be a part of the project.
4. Start our first build.

If you're still following along, I thank you! Stayed tuned on ways YOU can help. ❤️

And in the meantime, SUPPORT Danville Rescue!

06/29/2026

Danville Rescue will be open as a cooling center this week (for both men and women during the day) so I have put together the following Walmart Wishlist for things they will need.

If you order them for PICKUP and put my info, I will pick the items up and deliver them:

1. Add items to your cart.
2. Click on the cart icon and select PICKUP. Make sure it is for the Danville Supercenter.
3. Click Continue to Checkout.
4. Add me as a pickup person (Hope Garrett, [email protected]).
5. Pay and place the order!

Walmart Shopping Lists; your go-to place to keep you organized

03/29/2026

The celebration and fundraiser event for Danville Rescue Men's Shelter is coming up quickly on April 11!

If you haven't had a chance yet to donate, please consider purchasing an item from this wish list. All of these items will be used to make auction baskets for our silent auction!

If you'd rather donate an Amazon giftcard, I can combine those to purchase the pricier items.

ALL donations to this cause near and dear to my heart are GREATLY APPRECIATED! ❤️

03/17/2026

I wanted to post this link again in case anyone is able to help. I've received a few donations and to those folks I extend a HEARTFELT THANK YOU!

I also understand that finances are tight for everyone right now. If you would like to help, but can't afford the full price of the items on the list, an e-giftcard to Amazon for any amount would also be greatly appreciated. I will pool the giftcards together and buy as many items as possible!

Finally, if you are interested in attending the celebration dinner, let me know and I'll get you a ticket. They are $25 each, all of which will benefit Danville Rescue.

03/15/2026

OK...I'm having "a day" right now, so bear with me as I vent.

The more time I spend getting to know our unhoused community and the agencies that serve it, as well as working on Tiny Homes of Vermilion County, the more disenchanted I become with humankind. And I don't like it. It makes me sad (which in my brain gets quickly converted to MAD...lol).

Let me be clear: we need BOOTS ON THE GROUND. We need...

MORE. LESS
Worker bees. Queen bees.
Action. Talk.
Ex*****on. Ideation.
Volunteers. Complainers.
Me. They (disguised as we).

If talk is cheap, then my last week of interactions has been darn near destitute. If you REALLY want things to get better, DO SOMETHING about it. Vermilion County has resources at the ready, but those groups and agencies need VOLUNTEERS...people to actually DO the work.

If you are looking for an opportunity to BE part of the solution insteading of talking about one, PM me and I'll get you hooked up. Otherwise...

SHUSH.

03/12/2026

This is the event for which I posted the Amazon link last night...

03/12/2026

Just wanted to give an update along with a small request....

I continue to work with Nicole Van Hyfte and The Van Hyfte Grant Lab to prepare all of the governance docs for the GO Foundation's 501c3 application. Slow and steady wins the race so we just keep plugging along! In the meantime, I'm hoping my supporters near and far will consider helping me support another local organization on a similar mission.

Danville Rescue has been operating the only men's shelter in our area for unhoused men for a full year now. On April 11, they will host a fundraising CELEBRATION of their accomplishments over that year. If you are able, please consider purchasing one of the items on the linked wishlist for us to use in our silent auction that night.

As always, thank you all for continuing to support and encourage me on this journey. Every time someone sees me out and about and stops to tell me how happy they are about the Tiny Homes project, I get a fresh boost of motivation!

02/03/2026

We're in the news! But I've got my work cut out for me keeping up with those comments. 🤣

The truth is, I don't mind honest questions. This community belongs to all of us and folks have a right to their opinion. I intend for our Foundation to demonstrate 100% transparency. That's the only way to build trust. 💙

DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — In May, Hope Garrett of the Garrett-Osborne Foundation, started her plan to bring a “tiny home” community to Danville. Now, it’s starting to come to fruition and she& #…

01/20/2026

I love this graphic because as a mom, a credit union CEO, and a community member, it is important to remember that we're all just figuring it out as we go, and sometimes that takes a minute.

I'm happy to say that today I have a progress update for all of you. We received (after three months or so) the green light for our Foundation's name and we have submitted our Articles of Incorporation. Once the state approves those, we are considered a legal entity, meaning we "officially exist" and can pursue an EIN and 501c3 status. I know that all may seem like a lot of mumbo jumbo, but it's actually a really significant milestone!

In other good news, I met with City personnel again, and we have a path for moving ahead with them as well. Next up is finalizing the selection of our first location and developing a site plan that meets city code.

Finally, just this afternoon, a local business contacted me and said they want to "sponsor the construction of the first [tiny home]!" I don't know yet how they want to move forward as far as publicity, so I'm not naming names, but rest assured, I will let everyone know who this newest community partner is as soon as I can!

It's happening, guys. It's really happening! 🥹❤️🏡

12/13/2025

Has it really been two months since I posted an update?!? 📅

Well, the wheels of change certainly turn slowly, but every inch is movement in the right direction! At this point, we have filed to register our Foundation's name with the State of IL and are awaiting approval. After that, we file for a TIN with the IRS, file our Articles of Incorporation with Illinois to become an official legal entity, and then go back to the IRS for 501c3 status. I'm learning that it's an awful lot of hurry up and wait!

And to be honest, I'm not a very patient person. Good thing I have a full time job and the Holidays to keep me busy! While waiting, though, I have secured commitments from five trusted partners (friends, really) to compose our Board of Directors. Each has a professional specialty for which they were specifically chosen (construction, social work, legal matters, risk management, and health services) to ensure we have a wide range of expertise. And, of course, I'm the financial nerd! 🤓

I will be introducing each of our board directors to you as things move along. I also want to make sure we highlight key community partners who have already stepped up to help when we need them!

For now, thank you for sticking with me. Who knew a good idea could take soooooooo long to get off the ground?!? Please keep sending those prayers, positive vibes, and supportive comments, and I'll keep sending the updates! ❤️