An Evening of Love that Raised the Roof
What a beautiful and joy-filled reminder of why we do the work we do — all for the love of home.
We had an incredible evening at the Raise the Roof Gala & Auction, raising $19,530 across 51 silent and live auction items to pour right back into our community. The love in the room from our 210 attendees was undeniable! Compared to last year, we welcomed 25% more attendees and saw a 67% increase in profit.
We were especially honored to hear from KaOnna, a past Iowa Heartland Habitat homebuyer, who shared her story so powerfully. She was an amazing speaker, and her words were a heartfelt reminder of the impact a safe, stable home can have.
Thank you to our generous sponsors and attendees who showed up, bid big, danced the night away, and captured memories. We truly felt the love.
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Rally Your Team for Women Build 2026
From April–November, women in our community are coming together to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. Grab your coworkers, besties, sisters, or teammates and form a crew!
Kick things off at our Women Build Breakfast, then head to the build site to make a real impact — no experience needed.
Ready to build something bigger than yourself?
Contact Rylee Petersen to register at rpetersen@webuildhabitat.org or call
(319) 235-9946.
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Advocacy in Action: Home Renewal Program
Earlier this year, Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity, as well as local affiliates, successfully advocated for legislation that extends funding for the Home Renewal Program for the next three years.
Established in 2022, this revolving loan program helps nonprofit developers acquire properties in need of major health and safety improvements, resolve outstanding taxes and/or title issues, and ultimately sell the homes to buyers earning up to 120% of the area median income.
| | The advocacy effort included Habitat Day at the Capitol, where members of the Habitat community engaged with nearly 60 legislators to highlight the importance of the program. This was followed by targeted advocacy efforts through emails and phone calls from the Habitat network. Supporters also provided testimony in legislative committees and made more than 100 direct contacts with legislators and state agency leadership across the state. | | |
Larry Wynes has been a dedicated volunteer for the past four years, his first year on the construction side and the last three at the ReStore.
He’s always eager to help, whether guiding shoppers, receiving donations, or repairing items.
| | | Larry retired from Waterloo Industries as a computer systems analyst and enjoys spending time with his family. Thank you for all you do, Larry! | | Construction Volunteers of the Month | | | | |
Since the start of the new year, Sister Brook Robinson and Sister Katie Kramer have been faithful Wednesday volunteers with Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity. They are currently serving as missionaries with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dedicating 18 months to service and sharing their faith. As part of that commitment, they volunteer weekly with Iowa Heartland Habitat. The Church has been a longtime, dedicated partner, generously bringing a team of volunteers each Wednesday.
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Sister Brook has been serving her mission for 13 months, and Sister Katie for 7 months. Both are passionate about giving back to the community. Katie especially enjoys demo and painting days, while Iowa Heartland has become one of Brook’s favorite places to serve.
In their free time, Sister Brook enjoys fishing and country dancing, while Sister Katie loves traveling, working out, playing guitar, and creating art. We’re grateful for the energy, positivity, and helping hands they bring to our build sites each week.
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New ReStore Equipment Thanks to IDNR!
We want to give a huge thank you to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) for their support through the recent SWAP grant cycle.
Because of this funding, we were able to purchase new equipment for the ReStore, including pallet trucks, carts, and a lift table. These tools help our staff and volunteers move donations more safely and efficiently every single day.
We’re so grateful for their generosity and partnership in supporting our mission and strengthening our community!
This text was prepared with the support of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Agreement Number 28-G550-05FL. However, any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of IDNR.
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Why We Build
Meet Dylyn, one of our Construction Site Supervisors. He helps make sure every job gets done right, on time, and with the highest quality possible.
Dylyn’s favorite part of the job is seeing volunteers show up every day, ready to work hard and make life better for families in our community. A mission moment that stands out to him is watching the homelab project come to life—a powerful reminder of what teamwork and dedication can accomplish.
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If Dylyn were a tool, he’d be a speed square—versatile, precise, and able to help create perfect results every time. Outside of work, he enjoys fishing on Lake Pepin with his grandparents in the summer and relaxing with crafts alongside his wife in the winter.

Dylyn is honored to be part of a team so committed to a single mission. Knowing he’s part of something bigger than just building is meaningful to him every day.
| | Parkersburg Shows Up for Lunch for a Cause | | |
Lunch for a Cause at Parker Place in Parkersburg was a wonderful example of community in action!
Together, we raised $600 and served more than 75 meals, with support from local businesses and community members. It was truly all hands-on deck as Parker Place and Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity staff worked side by side to prepare, hand out, and deliver meals.
Thank you, Parkersburg, for showing up and making the day a success!
| | Raise the Roof Feature Video | | Rylee Petersen Talks about Women Build on KWWL | |
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805 West 5th St., Waterloo, IA 50702
(319) 235-9946
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday Closed
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4107 Hammond Ave., Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 883-3331
Tuesday-Friday 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday and Monday Closed
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