Parishioners from Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, including Bob and Michele Valliere, and other people in the diocese have been instrumental in funding and supporting a new tiny house community for veterans in need. (Lisa M. Geraci | Catholic News Herald)HIGH POINT — An Immaculate Heart of Mary couple was brought to tears when they saw that a new tiny home neighborhood for homeless veterans will bear their name: the “Bob & Michele Valliere Veterans Community.”
“These signs will always remain here as part of their dedication to our veterans and the homeless population of Guilford County,” Scott Jones, founder of Tiny House Community Development Inc., said at an April 11 ribbon-cutting ceremony when the name was unveiled.
Jones explained how the Vallieres’ stewardship and love propelled the six-home project forward.
“Bob has been the reason that we were able to do this today, because of his persistence and his dedication to veterans and seeing this community built,” Davis said. “It was just fitting to honor him and his wife Michele.
“He pushed to fuel this, and I am so honored to have him and the Catholics that rallied behind him along the way.”
This development is Jones’ third in the past 10 years in the Triad and the first dedicated exclusively to homeless veterans. Each of its six homes is named after a military branch and finished with new furniture donated by Bob’s Discount Furniture.
The Vallieres began this journey with Jones in 2024, after seeing him on the local TV news raising awareness about the 80-plus veterans and families in Guilford County who needed a home.
The cause appealed to Bob Vallieres, a Vietnam veteran, and his ministry, the IHM Military, Veterans and Families Outreach Ministry (MVFO).
With the support of Father Patrick O’Connor, their pastor, members started a fundraiser to sponsor one of the one-bedroom tiny homes and surpassed expectations, raising $40,000 – enough for the two-bedroom Coast Guard home.
“He reached out to a lot of people and was so involved in this,” said Air Force veteran and donor Lauren Flossman. “So, I decided to help out where I could.”
IHM was proud to be the first and only parish to sponsor a home in the community, but the aid did not stop there.
IHM MVFO members started serving blueberry pancakes every Tuesday morning at Jones’ community in Greensboro, while the IHM Habitat for Humanity spent weekends and some weekdays building the High Point homes.
As the parish ministries learned more about the families they were serving – their struggles, passions and personalities – help expanded. The Christmas Giving Tree ministry placed tags on the tree that provided household items for the Coast Guard home. Parishioners were so generous that they had extra items for the other five houses.
While their stewardship progressed, so did their passion to recruit more support, and other Catholic churches and parishioners took notice.
Lt. Col. Mike and Kathy Mader, an Air Force family from St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte, read about the project in the Catholic News Herald, and they felt God calling them to sponsor a home.
“We have been involved with projects like this in Rock Hill,” Kathy Mader said. “We called Bob and got involved. We are impressed with this community and all the people that came together to help make this happen.”
Now, the home bears a plaque dedicated to them, reminding veterans who will occupy it that they are not alone.
Another couple, parishioners of Holy Family in Clemmons, sponsored a tiny home anonymously. The home bears the name “Holy Family” house.
The veterans have yet to move in and the second phase – two three-bedroom homes – will soon break ground, but Valliere and his MVFO team are excited to meet the families and help further the legacy.
“I am so proud of Immaculate Heart of Mary, who has stepped up to support the Tiny House Home Community,” Bob Valliere told the crowd at the opening. “Our work as Christians is an ongoing effort, as difficult as it is, to follow the steps of Jesus as He has instructed us to – to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, clothe the needy and, as is here today, shelter the homeless.”
— Lisa M. Geraci
