vista village

NON-PROFIT SPOTLIGHT: VISTA VILLAGE

My name is Harvey Hook. I am the Chief Engagement Officer of Vista Village. Vista Village was established in 2019. Our Mission is to create a tiny homes community for men and women experiencing homelessness, provide them with wraparound services, help them find employment and then graduate to independent living in the broader community.

I've been called by God to create opportunities for people and communities to thrive, and Vista Village allows me to empower others in the fulfillment of my calling.

We are in the development stage of Vista Village. On the development side we are building 41, 420 sq. ft., tiny homes, each with bedroom, bath, kitchen, living area, front porch and pitched roof. Each home will house a single homeless individual. The city of Columbus strongly supports this project, including support by Major Ginther, City Council President, Shannon Hardin, members of Council, and their Development Department. We are planning to break ground on the project in early Spring 2023. Our site is located in southeast Columbus off Refugee Road, approximately 1 mile east of Eastland Mall.

On the fundraising side, we have secured commitments of $3.6 million in the past 14 months towards our $6 million capital campaign goal. There will be numerous opportunities for volunteer engagement as we approach our opening date and once our residents are in the village.

We look forward to final site approval from the City of Columbus by the end of October 2022 and then groundbreaking with community leaders and interested members of the public in early Spring 2023.

"Our 4,000 sq. ft. community center will serve as the hub for delivering all healthcare, education, counseling, workforce development, financial literacy, and training. We will begin construction in early winter 2022 and plan to open it for public viewing in early 2023, along with two of our tiny homes."

Community members can contact us to inquire about opportunities for volunteer engagement individually, as a business or group, or as a church or faith community. While we focus on capital fund raising at the moment we are welcoming individuals, businesses, and churches to consider making a financial commitment to underwrite the operational costs of the village. We are seeking to raise $10,000 per home, for each of our 41 homes, to cover operational expenses annually.

To learn more, please visit our website. Or, for more in-depth information, I can be reached by email at hhook@vistavillage.org. I am very responsive to all email contacts and questions!

Harvey Hook