In partnership with 9/11 Day, more than 200 volunteers joined Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity throughout September to honor the National Day of Service and Remembrance in an incredibly meaningful way—building alongside neighbors. Thanks to 9/11 Day, Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity received funding for the materials and supplies to support key projects underway at the home builds during the month.

From August 28 through September 25, volunteers gave their time across two Iowa City construction sites, helping build homes with two local Habitat families. Veterans, first responders, university students, AmeriCorps members, community organizations, and individuals all came together with a shared desire to give back. But the significance of the month extended beyond the work accomplished on two homes.

September 11 is remembered for tremendous loss, but it also includes what happened in the moments, days, and months that followed. First responders risked their lives for people they never met. Strangers helped each other. Across the country, people found ways to care for each other, and communities came together. Twenty-five years later, the National Day of Service and Remembrance asks that we keep that part of the story alive, too.

A Habitat build site is especially fitting for that kind of service. Most volunteers arrive without knowing the family who will live in the home, and many don't know those they'll spend the day working with. They come from different professions, generations, and experiences, but they show up because they want to give their time to help others.

At the Hodge Construction Habitat home build, nearly 150 volunteers brought a home across the finish line in time for the family's home dedication. Volunteers installed interior doors and trim work, kitchen cabinetry, blinds, vanities, sinks, and grab bars, and completed touch-up painting, caulking, cleaning, and other finishing details.

Those jobs may not be the most glamorous, but they mattered. Volunteers worked alongside the future homeowners, sharing stories and getting to know one another. Connections formed between people who, without that build site, may never have crossed paths. Community Outreach Officer Detwiler of the Coralville Police Department was among them.

“Everyone has a part to play,” Detwiler shared. “It takes all of us to work together to make a peaceful, safe, and enjoyable community to live in.”

By the end of September, volunteers saw what their work made possible as the family gathered with friends, volunteers, and community members for their home dedication and received the keys to their new home.

Across town, more than 70 volunteers helped another Habitat home begin to take shape through our Women Build project. Volunteers framed and raised walls, installed exterior sheathing, set roof trusses, and added roof decking. With each shift, a concrete foundation looked a little more like a home.

Many were volunteering with Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity for the first time, including members of the Iowa City Police Department, University of Iowa ROTC, and Veterans at Iowa. They worked with longtime Habitat volunteers, the future homeowner, and others they may not have known before arriving on the build site. Iowa City Police Officer Schmidt was one of them.

“I believe that it is important for law enforcement to be out in the community and to give back to other members,” Schmidt shared. “It's nice to be able to give back to the community while also representing the police department.”

Longtime Habitat volunteer Karyl Bohnsack also saw a connection between the work happening on the build site and the larger community.

“Housing is a human right,” Bohnsack shared. “It makes for a more stable community, happier families, healthier children.”

Although she has volunteered with Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity for many years, this was her first time participating in the 9/11 Day service month. She said part of what made the experience meaningful was “working alongside other volunteers to honor those we lost.”

The weather didn't always cooperate. Extreme heat, rain, and muddy worksites forced several shifts to be canceled. But when volunteers could build, they showed up and kept the work moving forward.

Perhaps that is the part of this month most worth carrying forward. We cannot recreate the circumstances that brought people together in the aftermath of September 11, and we would never want to. But we can remember that selflessness by continuing to show up for people we don't know and work beside people we might never otherwise meet.

9/11 Day and Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity invited this community to “unite for good”, and more than 200 Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity volunteers responded this September. They swung hammers, raised walls, installed cabinets, cleaned a home, and worked beside strangers who showed up for the same reason.

Together, we build homes. Together, we build community. And together, we remember through service.

ABOUT THE HAMMERS AND HARDHATS LIVE AUCTION
This exclusive package will only be available during the live auction at Hammers and Hardhats on October 8. Learn more about our event here. If you can’t attend but would like to set up proxy bidding, contact [email protected]. For more information on proxy bidding, please see below.

Thanks to Doug Alberhasky and John’s Grocery, we have 15 spots available for an exclusive tour of Iowa City’s Bier Caves! 

This is a once in a lifetime experience to tour the historic underground of Iowa City’s famous Bier Caves with John’s Grocery own Bier Guy, Doug Alberhasky.

The tour starts at Brewery Square, home of the Holtz and Geiger/Union/Graf brewing company. You’ll travel back to the 1870s and descend almost 30 feet into the underworld. Not for the faint of heart, you will climb down a 24-foot ladder where you will come back into contact with Iowa City’s rich brewing heritage. Upon exiting (hopefully with a huge thirst), guests will travel down the block to the tasting room of John’s Grocery, where Doug will lead the group on a power point tour of the History of Beer in Iowa City and how this amazing history has come alive in the feature film DEATH OF A BREWER! A date for the tour will be determined through availability poll of attendees and also based on Doug Alberhasky’s availability.

So, what would you pay for an experience of this magnitude? This outing is PRICELESS—the Bier Cave Tours are only hosted for charity, and most fetch at least $250 per attendee.

Can't join us on October 8? No problem!
PROXY BIDDING: As you discuss the fantastic lineup of live auction items with friends, consider letting those who cannot attend know about the option to bid by proxy. Contact us before October 8, and we can assign someone to step in to bid for you. Also, consider phoning a guest in at the event so they can join in the fun and get in on the bidding wars!

GROUP PACKAGE ITEM PAYMENTS: If you are considering going in on a live package with friends who are not in attendance or even uncertain who your guests might be for one of the party packages, don't hesitate to bid! Email [email protected] or discuss options with IVHFH staff to split payments with friends after the event.