MISHAWAKA — Jim Metherd wanted to act after he witnessed the 2012 opening of the Robert L. Miller, Sr. Veteran’s Center, with its goal to help house homeless veterans.
A decade later, his dream is closer to reality as he works to establish a tiny house complex to help homeless veterans lead healthier lives.
The project, called Mishawaka Troop Town, would include services and seven tiny homes on Jefferson Boulevard, across the street from Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 360 on the city's east side.
Metherd — joined by Dan Gann, Warren Seegers and others — already has raised $170,000 out of an expected total cost of $500,000. Plans are to continue garnering support so the project can break ground by late spring.
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Metherd served in the U.S. Army and is a Desert Storm veteran, and Seegers and Gann are also veterans. Metherd said he retired in September 2020 to devote his time to the Troop Town project.