THE PALLET SHACK — Help Us Finish The Foundation

Solara Sanctuary | Solara Foundation 501c3

February 21st, 2025, we closed on our house and drove away with everything packed into our truck and a vision of what the future can be.

We drove thousands of miles and hiked hundreds of acres of land, throughout 6 states from Florida to Virginia looking for the right land and community. We landed on 26 acres in East Tennessee July 2025, on raw, undeveloped land with no structures and no guarantees. We just had the courage, each other, and the bravery to jump off the ledge when the offer presented itself.

Now we are building a community and building our first cabin, The Pallet Shack. We are using reclaimed pallets, salvaged materials, and hundreds of miles of community hustle. We cleared land, built our foundation, framed, roofed, and weather-sealed the cabin by hand. Yes, I was dangling off the roof, using a chop saw, and tight walking roof beams. (Did I mentioned I'm afraid of heights?) 😄

But guess what? This winter, when Tennessee got hit with 15 inches of snow and one of the harshest winters locals can remember, it stood strong.

$8,600 has already been invested. Phase 1 is done.

Now we need your help to finish the inside and make it truly home.

What your donation builds:

Subfloor and flooring
Interior walls
Bathroom and kitchen
Electrical and plumbing
Heating and ventilation
Fireplace wall, doors, windows
Basic appliances

Goal: $12,000–$16,000 (Every reclaimed material donated brings that number down — and the community keeps showing up.)

Our Current Focus: Exterior Wall Shingles + Inside Flooring

This is the foundation of Solara Sanctuary, a farm-to-table healing sanctuary and skills camp designed specifically for foster and adopted children and their families. I know those kids because I was one of them.

I'm building The Shire. A butterfly pollination maze. Bunny therapy. Hobbit houses on the mountainside. A magical place where kids (and adults!) who have ever felt forgotten can feel acceptance and wonder instead.

What's already growing on this land:

20 rabbits with a waiting list for babies - already becoming a community asset
Reclaimed materials diverted from landfills
Eco bricks made from plastic waste used in gardens and retaining walls
A sawmill that's been creating lumber
A composting system that's already turning heads at the Appalachian Homesteaders Association
A barter network connecting farms and homesteads across the region
A community that keeps showing up

You're not funding a dream. You're finishing something already standing.

Every dollar goes directly to materials. Every donation is tax deductible through the Solara Foundation 501c3. And every single person who gives becomes part of this story and turns into our community. We are also building a Barter & Trade Network throughout the United States that will help create the eco-system that we are all trying to develop. Let's create a new way of living together!

If this were a movie, the synopsis would be: "This is the story of a mountain, a mission, and two people who bet everything on love".

Will you help us come home and help others to do the same?

Help Us Build Our First Cabin at Solara Sanctuary

Building from the ground up