RACINE – Local 139 member Tim Leghorn on March 2 donated his day to setting five “tiny houses” to serve as temporary shelter for homeless veterans. A Navy veteran, Leghorn has been a member of the union for 19 years.

His employer, A.W. Oakes & Son, provided use of a wheel loader he operated.

The houses were set on foundations placed adjacent to the Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin headquarters building on this city’s north side. VOW is building a village of 15 of the homes, which are fabricated by volunteers. Interiors of the houses were not completed and electrical hookups are pending.

Students from Case, Park and Horlick high schools are building one of the houses.

Jeff Gustin, VOW co-founder, said as many as 40 veterans need such shelter, and that, hopefully, some of the houses will be ready for occupancy by late spring.

Veterans using the houses will share kitchen, bathroom and common space being added to the VOW building at 1624 Yout St.

Local 139 Business Agents/Organizers Dan Marsolek and Bob Weaver, along with other tradesmen, assisted Leghorn in picking and setting the houses.

To find out more about this project, visit vetsoutreachwi.us/vets-village/

To find out more about Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin, visit vetsoutreachwi.us/