The volunteer community effort to get George Pakk back home on Main Street in Waitsfield Village continues.
On February 24 a chimney fire destroyed Pakk’s home in the village. Local folks, led by Erica and Karin Stroem got to work organizing donations, fundraising and working to get the site of the fire cleaned up.
It was not a super speedy process, rather it was deliberate and methodical as the snow melted and the debris was removed and the site prepared. During that time, Stroem was able to purchase an unfinished tiny house which volunteers have almost finished inside and out.
She met with volunteers including Jay Seekins and Charlie Hosford this on July 7 to finalize plans to move the tiny house (currently located behind the Localfolk Smokehouse) on Main Street.
“We have a volunteer who will help connect the house to the septic system and we still need to find a certified plumber who will be able to connect it to the Waitsfield water system,” she said.
She and others tried to get Pakk able to use his existing well but that didn’t work out.
“The house is almost finished being painted. It’s all wired and plumbed, the only thing that needs to be done is the shower tiling and the toilet being installed,” she said.
“When we got it, the tiny house was a shell. Now it’s been finished,” she added.
Stroem started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $20,000 to cover the cost of the tiny house and other expenses. The Mad River Valley Community Fund covered the cost of removing the house at the site.
After the initial push on. GoFundMe, she reached back out due to the cost of hiring a plumber to raise another $2,500-$3,000 for the certified plumber. She also faces the issue of the availability of a plumber to do the work. Certified plumbers can contact Stroem at
