Building Community Together: 2025–2027 Impact Guide

Welcome to our Building Community Together Initiative—Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity’s bold vision for the future.

As we celebrate 35 years of building homes, communities, and hope, this initiative highlights our expanded mission: not only constructing homes, but also offering critical home repairs, financial coaching, and neighborhood revitalization. With more than 200 homes built since 1991 and over 21,000 volunteer hours served in FY24 alone, we are now setting our sights even higher.

Over the next three years, we aim to serve 419 families—more than we did in our first three decades combined. Backed by a strategic $11.5 million investment campaign, our plan includes building homes, repairing existing ones, growing financial education, and revitalizing entire neighborhoods across Waterloo.

Explore how we’re putting love into action and working alongside our community to create lasting change. This guide shares the story, the data, and the path forward—and how you can be part of it.

Learn more

Contact Dusty Wilson at dwilson@webuildhabitat.org to learn more about the Building Community Together Initiative and how you can get involved.

Building Community Together Initiative Leadership

Honorary Chair: Mayor Quentin Hart

Executive Committee Members

Hank Wellnitz
Volunteer / Builder’s Circle / Past Board
Scott Mueller
Veridian CU / Current Board
Allison Beach
OMJC Signal / Current Board
Lynette Sorensen
REMAX - Twin Power Group / Past Board
Matt Verbeck
First Interstate Bank / Current Board
Cathy Young
Builder’s Circle / Pastor / Young Pluming
Renee Christopher
Veridian CU
Mike Hulme
Financial Resource Advisors
Jack Locke
Locke Funeral Homes
TBD Community Bank & Trust

Consultant: David Hoeksema / Renaissance Group

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$11.5M

Help us reach our goal!

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Lead Gifts

City of Waterloo – $3.75 million

Otto Schoitz Foundation – $1.5 million

John Deere Foundation – $1.275 million

Black Hawk County Gaming Association – $1 million

Pauline R. Barrett Charitable Foundation – $500,000

TruStage Foundation – $100,000

R.J. McElroy Trust – $10,000

Building stability, opportunity, and hope through homeownership, resilient neighborhoods, and community collaboration.

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Our Commitment to Belonging and Opportunity

At Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity, we believe every person deserves a place to call home—and a community where they are welcomed, respected, and empowered to thrive. Rooted in our faith and guided by our commitment to Koinonia, we work to expand opportunity and foster belonging through every aspect of our mission—from how we build and who we serve to the culture we cultivate within our team. As an equal opportunity employer and housing organization, we reject discrimination in any form and strive to model a world where compassion and opportunity lead to lasting change. We welcome people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities—including members of the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities, people of all faiths or none, and people of all abilities—because when we unite through God’s love, we build more than homes—we build community and hope for all.

Non-proselytizing policy

Habitat for Humanity and its affiliate organizations will not proselytize. Nor will Habitat work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with Habitat. This means that Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must adhere to or convert to a particular faith or listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.