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Grace Gardens, located at the corner of East 3rd and Walnut Street in the Walnut Neighborhood, offers solitude, nourishment, and beauty to everyone who passes by. Judy and George Marshall, who serve as pastors as the nearby Harvest Vineyard Church, were able to acquire this property on the corner shortly after purchasing and renovating their […]

By Maggie Nelson  At Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity, our mission is to build stability, opportunity, and hope through homeownership, resilient neighborhoods, and community collaboration. For me, this work is more than just a job; it’s deeply connected to my faith and the path that led me to be the Neighborhood Impact Intern in Waterloo […]

The CCDA principle of Church-Based always makes me think of Keeyon Carter, whose presence as a speaker at Spring 2024 and Spring 2025 Immerse courses provided deep insight into how a church can share Christ's love through focusing on the community located directly around them. One tangible example of this is the mural, pictured above, […]

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Ali Parrish, the inspiring Executive Director of Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity and my supervisor for over 3 years. We often have conversations about how to achieve flourishing in the neighborhoods through specific goals and initiatives, and I thought it would be important for everyone to […]

The Neighborhood Survey launched yesterday! It includes several questions about housing for residents to share their opinions about types, conditions, and costs of housing in the neighborhoods. The survey also includes one new question that is different from when we conducted it 3 years ago. I think that this question will be very impactful to […]

Today I want to share that the owners of El Barco on West 5th Street in Church Row Neighborhood recently announced that they will be closing their doors, effective immediately. This is sad news! However, I recognize that not all neighborhood news is positive, and even though it can be hard, we do try to […]

One of the most impactful articles that I have read, shared, and referenced numerous times recently was a paper called "The Context Experts," written by Lisa Attygalle at The Tamarack Institute, one of the professional organizations where we are members that specializes in Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) expertise. I have read numerous articles, watched […]

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Heart of Reconciliation Reconciliation is one of the core principles of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), representing not just a spiritual ideal but a practical framework for healing the divisions that fracture our communities. At its essence, the CCDA […]

Trees are more than just greenery—they’re vital urban infrastructure that clean the air, cool our neighborhoods, and boost residents' overall wellness. Yet, in historically redlined neighborhoods—areas systematically disinvested due to policies from the 1930s to 1968—tree cover is scarce, leaving residents vulnerable to heat-related illness, less beauty, and decreased access to green spaces. Community-led grant […]

In our very first blog post on CCDA principles, we wrote that Redistribution means "creating just economic opportunities for all," which is true. In order to accomplish economic vitality, though, redistribution must occur within more than simply economic resources. I'd like to share more about this today! Learning from John Perkins John Perkins stands as […]