DOWAGIAC — People will have a chance this weekend to purchase a first-of-its-kind miniature house — as well as to make an important investment in the future of the Dowagiac community.

Local nonprofit organization The Stepping Stone will auction off a four-room, 40-by-40-foot portable home at 1 p.m. Saturday outside its community center, at 214 Miller St. People are invited to tour the structure from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., prior to the sale.

Proceeds from the event will go toward paying off construction costs for the building, with the remaining money going toward funding The Stepping Stone’s numerous community-oriented initiatives, including its afterschool tutoring program at the community center.

The structure, built from four 10-by-10-foot sheds that are joined firmly together by clamps below the building’s ceiling, contains space for a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom and bathroom, with entrances in the front and rear of the house. Its modular nature will allow owners to break apart and transport the house, either in two 20-by-20-foot portions or four 10-by-10 portions.

The building was designed by a local entrepreneur, who approached The Stepping Stone earlier this year for assistance with getting his project off the ground, said Ester Stanley, founder of The Stepping Stone and leader of the construction project.

“We would like to launch the careers of local entrepreneurs,” Stanley said. “It’s part of our mission. With all the industry leaving the country, the high unemployment rates and the cost of college, we need entrepreneurs more than ever.”

A group of 20 volunteers, comprised of 10 adults and 10 children, built the miniature house during the summer. The experience was particularly enlightening for the students, who got a chance to learn a lot of new skills through the building process, Stanley said.

Stanley said the structure could provide a number of functions, from a small vacation cabin to a hunter’s shack.

The Stepping Stone will receive 90 percent of the money from the sale, which will be a huge shot in the arm for the nonprofit’s operations, Stanley said. In addition to its afterschool program — where children get a chance to receive help with their classwork and enjoy a free meal — the organization also provides assistance for elderly in the community, and is currently wrapping up construction on its new soup kitchen, located near its headquarters.

“More and more people are asking for help,” Stanley said. “We feel like we have a responsibility to do more for the community: for the children, for our seniors and for everyone in between who needs the help.”

Stanley said that she and others with the organization hope to continue to build similar small structures in the future.

“It’s an investment,” she said, encouraging people to bid Saturday. “It’s an investment in the future of these children, and it’s an investment in our ability to continue to help those who cannot help themselves.”