What is Women Build Week (WBW)?
IVHFH 2023 Women Build Week is a special kickoff of the Mary Mascher Women Build taking place April 23-29.

WBW EVENTS:
Volunteer Day - April 27, 8 AM-5 PM
Volunteers will help lay sod and complete related tasks at the 2022 Women Build home located at 780 Barber Place in Iowa City. Sign up to volunteer!

Frame Decorating Party - April 28, 9 AM-12 PM
Decorate a 2'x4' framing board (stud) for the Women Build home. We ask participants to consider a donation to benefit the Mary Mascher Women Build. Can't attend? You can pick up a stud from the Habitat office Monday-Friday 9 AM-4 PM, decorate it, and return it to IVHFH by April 21. Your board will be displayed at our Groundbreaking Ceremony AND you will be invited to our Frame Finder event this fall to see where your stud was placed in the structure of the home. Click here to donate and register. You can also email tami@iowavalleyhabitat.org to reserve your 2'x4' and/or register for the Frame-A-Thon and donations can be mailed to IVHFH | 2401 Scott Blvd. SE | Iowa City | IA | 52240.

Women Build Groundbreaking Ceremony - April 29, 10 AM at 2637 Blazing Star Drive, Iowa City
Join the Women Build committee and future homeowners, Etienne and Romance and their children Kenaya, Kevin, Ketan, and Kellian, as we break ground at the site of the 13th Women Build home.

STAY TUNED! We are working on many details of the Mary Mascher Build so check back for more exciting details SOON! If you would like to receive updates and announcements about Women Build, send a message to tami@iowavalleyhabitat.org.

About the Mary Mascher Women Build
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity's 13th Women Build project is in honor of Mary Mascher! Mary served as an Iowa State Representative for 14 terms and taught in the Iowa City Community School District for 33 years. Mary has served the Habitat mission for decades, frequently hitting the build sites with The University Club group, Women with Hammers. Mary joins a group of 13 women in the Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity community honored for their achievements, their leadership, and their service to our neighbors.

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Our Goal
The Women Build committee is working together to raise $55,000 in local contributions and recruit volunteers to build an energy-efficient home that will be purchased by a family in need of affordable homeownership. $5,000 will be used to make affordable repairs and/or accessibility modifications for an existing homeowner. Make a donation today to help us reach our fundraising goal!

History of IVHFH Women Build
The first Iowa Valley Habitat Women Build was completed by a committee of volunteers in 2005, the second Women Build was also completed by a committee of volunteers in 2007, but the affiliate did not commit to making the Women Build an annual project until 2011. Since then, it has become a tradition for IVHFH to name each Women Build in honor of an influential woman in the community.

2011-2022 IVHFH Women Build Honorees include: Dottie Ray, Jackie Blank, Jane McCune, Dr. Christine Grant, Jean Lloyd-Jones, Mary Palmberg, Pat Heiden, Kazi Alward, Jan Down, Katie Lammers, Doris Preucil, and Jane Hagedorn.

To celebrate completion of the Jane Hagedorn Women Build, IVHFH hosted a formal Dedication Ceremony at Parkview Church in addition to open houses at the Women Build home in Iowa City. Thank you to Women Build committee members who came together to plan and host our open houses! As guests walked into the home on January 26 and 27, they were warmly greeted by Women Build honoree Jane Hagedorn along with future homeowner Mogahid and his family. Guests were invited to tour the home and enjoy snacks and refreshments provided by the Women Build committee. As a special tribute to several long-term supporters and Women Build committee members who had passed away in recent years, IVHFH displayed pictures and names of these beloved Habitat friends: Judy Best, Dr. Christine Grant, William "d'Grouch" Laubengayer, Von Miller, Amy Pretorius, and Lori Thomas. 

​At the Dedication Ceremony, Jane thanked the hundreds of supporters who made contributions to the project--volunteer time, donations to two silent auctions, financial contributions, discounted or free construction labor and supplies, and so much more. Jane said she remembers her mother always saying, "It takes a village to raise a family." She added, "Well, it takes a community to build a home!", as she reflected on the countless number of people who came together in support of Women Build 12.

Guests clapped and cheered as Jane Hagedorn handed Mogahid and Rahma the keys to their new home. The couple were joined by their children Nadeen, Mohammed, Ahmed, Mohalab, Mustafa, and Moneeb. After the ceremony was complete, guests traveled to the new home to share in a home blessing, tours of the home, and food prepared by Mogahid and Rahma's family and friends. 
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​Thank you again to the hundreds of donors, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters of Mogahid and Rahma's home! Because of your generosity, nearly $190,000 was raised in addition to countless gift-in-kind donations of construction supplies, materials, labor, discounts, and more. As Jane Hagedorn said, "It takes a community to build a home!" Thank you to our incredible community!​

As many of our long-time supporters are aware, we take great care to build energy efficient homes. These measures ensure utility costs are low and reduce consumption of resources. This year’s Jane Hagedorn Women Build project is no different as we will install spray foam insulation, which seals gaps and prevents air penetration, Energy Star appliances, and an energy recovery ventilation system.

In addition to these features, and with the support of a Climate Action Grant from the City of Iowa City, we are upping our electrification efforts by installing an air-source heat pump HVAC system, and a heat pump water heater. Installing electric appliances instead of appliances that use fossil fuels, also known as electrification, helps reduce a home’s carbon footprint. As renewable sources increasingly provide electricity to our homes in conjunction with utility providers’ efforts to switch to wind and solar power, heating and cooling with electricity reduces carbon emissions. Installing an air source heat pump will allow this Women Build project to be heated with clean electricity, rather than a gas furnace. New advances will allow this heat pump to be effective year-round, including on some of the coldest winter days. The IVHFH staff and board of directors want to thank the City of Iowa City for support of this initiative and investing in efforts to reduce our community’s carbon footprint. Read more about our efforts to build energy efficient homes.

Through Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s Helping Hands repair program, a single-mother in North Liberty has replaced the flooring throughout her home.
 
Homeowner Geri’s son, Tajiri, has severe allergies. As a baby, Tajiri was experiencing hair loss, breathing problems, skin irritations, and more, but it was difficult to determine what was causing his symptoms. At the time, the family had pets in their home, but suspecting an allergy was causing Tajiri’s health problems, Geri removed the pets from their home. Later testing showed Tajiri suffers from several allergies including pet dander. Tajiri continues to struggle and his allergies make it difficult for him to sleep. Even after years of not having pets, the pet dander in the carpet throughout their home and vent/duct system triggers Tajiri’s allergies. Geri says, “If you have a situation where a child has severe allergies and is allergic to the home, what do you do? Not everybody can just move to another home. It really was a no-win situation.”
 
As part of the repair project, Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity will had the vents and ducts in the home cleaned. Sobaski Abbey Carpet and Floor donated the labor, materials, and supplies to remove all the carpeting in Geri and Tajiri’s home and replace it with vinyl plank flooring.

Homeowner Geri says, “I tell my foster children from day one, "No matter how it looks, you are never alone. There's always someone in your corner, they just have to find you." I got that saying from my grandmother. When I found out what was wrong with my son and not being able to do what I needed to help him, as a single mother, I felt helpless. But true to my grandmother's words [Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity has] now proved to me that I too, am not alone.”

IVHFH would like to thank Sobaski Abbey Carpet and Floor for their generous sponsorship of this project! ​ 

This project is part of Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s annual Women Build program. The 2021 Women Build is in honor of Jane Hagedorn, master plumber and former owner of Bea Day Plumbers. Jane and the IVHFH Women Build committee are working with Habitat staff to raise $55,000 to support construction of a new Habitat home in Iowa City as well as the Helping Hands repair for Geri and Tajiri.

Geri and Tajiri's project was recently featured on KCRG: https://www.kcrg.com/2021/04/30/north-liberty-mom-receives-free-flooring-to-help-autistic-son-with-severe-allergies/.

Each year, IVHFH seeks an influential woman in the community to honor with the Women Build. The honoree works with a committee of women to raise $55,000 in local donations and recruit volunteers to help a local family build an affordable home and to help an existing homeowner make affordable repairs or accessibility modifications to their home. Along with the efforts of the Women Build committee, a local family will partner with IVHFH to build an energy-efficient home that they will purchase with an affordable home mortgage. The Habitat homeownership program ensures that the household pays no more than 30% of their income to cover housing costs allowing more of their funds to be dedicated toward other essentials like education, health and transportation. Additionally, Women Build will support a local resident in need of critical home repairs and/or accessibility modifications. Through Helping Hands, a homeowner will receive affordable repairs so they can live more safely in their existing home. 

Jane and the Women Build committee encourage everyone, regardless of gender, to take part in any way they can. We need supporters to swing a hammer on the construction site, provide food for volunteers, make in kind donations or financial donations and attend fundraising events. ​

The meal is accompanied by miso soup, sake, and pickled ginger. Dessert is mochi ice cream with coffee or tea. Guests take home what they can’t eat along with the sushi rolling mat, which is theirs to keep.

Kazi's Sushi Party will be auctioned off  in an online auction at Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity's annual Women Build fundraiser, Hammers and Hardhats. Proceeds support construction of the Jane Hagedorn Women Build home and Women Build Helping Hands repair. 

For your chance to bid on Kazi's Sushi Party, along with many other fantastic auction packages, visit our auction website today! For more information, email tami@iowavalleyhabitat.org or call 319-519-6121.

Terry and Johanna Abernathy have generously donated a riverboat cruise on the Coralville Reservoir to the Hammers and Hardhats auction fundraiser on November 14. Winners will enjoy a 3 to 4 hour cruise for 20 people on the Abernathy's beautiful houseboat, Ausgezeichnet. While guests relax and view the scenic shoreline, they will also enjoy a breakfast with mimosas provided by the Doris Preucil Women Build committee. This auction package would be perfect for a special birthday, a wedding or baby shower, a corporate retreat, or simply a fun gathering for friends and family. 

The breakfast riverboat cruise will be auctioned off in a live auction at Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity's annual Women Build fundraiser, Hammers and Hardhats. Additionally, there are several other exciting packages that will be featured in the live auction including a week-long stay at a condo in Keystone, Colorado, a private sushi party hosted by a Women Build committee member, a private morel mushroom hunt, and more! There will also be nearly 100 items up for grabs in a silent auction at the event. Proceeds support construction of the Doris Preucil Women Build home and Women Build Helping Hands repair. 

Winners will make arrangements with the donors to schedule the breakfast cruise in summer of 2020. 

The Doris Preucil Women Build committee is excited to announce they have received a unique and exciting donation for their upcoming Hammers and Hardhats auction fundraiser on Thursday, November 14. Habitat supporters, Lyse Strnad and Tom Leavenworth will arrange a private morel mushroom hunt on their property in Cedar County.

In May 2020, the winner of this experience and one guest will come out to Cedar County to join a group of morel mushroom hunters in hundreds of acres of private timber. Participants should wear their oldest, briar-torn clothes and waterproof boots or shoes that can get wet. The winners will be provided with a mushroom stick to use for the day. This is a vigorous activity with lots of steep hills and creeks and brushy woods along the Cedar River. The team will use deer paths and horse trails on the hike.

After several hours of hunting, the group will come back to Lyse and Tom's house where all findings will be split evenly among all the hunters all while the group sips on delicious mint juleps served by the hosts.

Never hunted morel mushrooms before? Lyse and Tom will teach you all the tricks and take you to their best hunting spots. There are no guarantees except that you will have a lot of fun and a great hike on beautiful land. 

The Morels and Mint Juleps package will be auctioned off in a live auction at Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity's annual Women Build fundraiser, Hammers and Hardhats. Additionally, there are several other exciting packages that will be featured in the live auction including a week-long stay at a condo in Keystone, Colorado, a private sushi party hosted by a Women Build committee member, a riverboat cruise on the Coralville Reservoir for 20 people, and more! There will also be nearly 100 items up for grabs in a silent auction at the event. Proceeds support construction of the Doris Preucil Women Build home and Women Build Helping Hands repair.