Congratulations to the Awardees—Habitat Friends Night 2026

4/2/2026

John McKinstry received the Kazi Alward Award at Habitat Friends Night. This award is named after long-time supporter Kazi Alward, and recipients are selected for their exceptional service, compassion, and commitment.

Throughout his decades of service, John has been a familiar and steady presence at Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity. From his leadership as Board President of the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition to coordinating volunteers and fundraising through local service groups and his faith community (First Christian Church), to volunteering on build sites and serving as an Iowa City ReStore CORE volunteer, John has consistently shown up for our mission.

John's impact extends beyond his time. A skilled luthier, he has handcrafted and donated more than a dozen guitars, and even a mandolin. His instruments have been sold in auctions and local consignments, with all proceeds benefiting Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Whether advocating for affordable housing across our community or sharing his talents in creative and generous ways, John embodies the spirit of the Kazi Alward Award.

The William "d'Grouch" Laubengayer Award was presented to Dedi Walker. This honor is named after William "d'Grouch" Laubengayer, who dedicated countless hours to building 106 Habitat homes. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment and service, especially to the construction of Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity homes.

Dedi is a strong and steady presence in our community, both within our organization and across many local nonprofits. On our build sites, she truly does it all, from building trusses early in the process to painting, laying flooring, and everything in between. Honestly, if we left her long enough in a home, she could build it.

She also serves as co-leader of Women with Hammers, helping create a space where volunteers feel welcomed, supported, and empowered. Through this leadership, she is not only building homes but also building community.

Dedi's commitment to Habitat extends beyond our local work. She has traveled internationally through Habitat for Humanity's Global Village program, helping to build safe, affordable housing alongside families in developing countries.

Her dedication, generosity, and willingness to serve wherever she is needed truly reflects the heart of "d'Grouch" and the spirit of this award.

The Tom Glau Award honors Tom Glau, a dedicated CORE Volunteer how has been with the Iowa City ReStore for many years. This award recognizes individuals for their exceptional commitment and services as ReStore volunteers.

This year's recipient is Jim Woodin! Jim has been a ReStore volunteer since 2022, dedicating countless hours to the store. He always has a smile on his face and will go out of his way to help customers with any questions or assistance they need while shopping. Jim is also active throughout the Iowa City Community, volunteering at local food pantries.

The Jane Hagedorn Award honors Jane, the force behind the very first Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity Women Build in 2004, when she volunteered her time as the construction project lead. This award recognizes individuals for their exceptional commitment and service as supporters of Women Build.

Andrea French is this year's recipient. Andrea has supported Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity for decades. In fact, she was at Jane Hagedorn's side, training and leading volunteers as that very first Women Build project in 2004, and she's been involved in every Women Build project since!

In her professional role at Bea Day Plumbers, an ongoing supporter of Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity, Andrea extends her impact even further. She plays a critical role in building up women in our community, using her skills, experience, and voice to open doors in the trades.

Andrea has helped challenge misconceptions about what women can achieve in construction, breaking barriers and continuing to pave the way for strong, talented women in the field. She brings that same passion for empowerment directly into her service on our Women Build Committee, lifting others up and leading by example.

Andrea's strength, dedication, and commitment to empowering women truly embody the spirit of the Jane Hagedorn Award.

The Hammer of Hope Award was established to honor an individual or group who brings hope to our organization through their ongoing support, especially those representing the next generation of community leaders.

This year, the award was presented to the University of Iowa Habitat for Humanity Chapter. Established during the 1989-1990 school year, this dedicated group began volunteering with our affiliate in 1993, shortly after our founding. The chapter has been a valued partner ever since.

Over the years, chapter members have contributed more than 2,500 volunteer hours on Habitat build sites and have also hosted fundraising events to support our work. They show up ready to work hard, bring positive energy, and help move each project forward.

As students and emerging leaders, the University of Iowa Habitat for Humanity Chapter represents the future of service, generosity, and community impact. Their commitment, enthusiasm, and willingness to lead through action truly embody the spirit of the Hammer of Hope Award.

Congratulations to Lepic-Kroeger, REALTORS® for receiving the Team of the Year Award. This award recognizes a group for their outstanding and ongoing service to Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Lepic-Kroeger, REALTORS® exemplify what it means to show up for a community with a broad spirit of giving. As a Team Build Partner, their team contributes time and financial support each build season, but their impact extends far beyond the construction site. Additionally, their team has stepped up in creative and impactful ways, expanding our capacity far beyond the construction site.

Through their marketing, many organizations are doing work with limited communications and marketing capacity. This kind of partnership is transformational--LKR doesn’t just support Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity--they bring others along.
Their leadership, generosity, and commitment to community set a powerful example. They remind us that every skill, every voice, and every act of support can help build something bigger. Congratulations to our Team of the Year, Lepic-Kroeger, REALTORS®!
Below are just a few of the unique and powerful ways LKR has supported Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity. How will you use your voice to elevate our mission?

Marketing Expertise: Last year, Kayla Fisher and the LKR marketing team produced a fun and informative video spotlighting our ReStore. Professional storytelling helps our community understand Iowa City ReStore’s impact, while freeing our staff to focus on programs and families rather than producing marketing content in-house. The financial savings from this contribution go directly toward building and repairing homes.

Photography: Photos are among our most powerful tools for volunteer recruitment. Thanks to LKR’s photography support in capturing their build days with us, we can share real moments of joy, teamwork, and empowerment that inspire others to get involved. Every photo taken means our staff can spend more time coordinating volunteers and less time behind the camera. Check out the fun LKR has had with us at a couple of builds in 2024 and 2025!

Sharing a Trusted Endorsement: LKR uses its own platforms to share its volunteer stories, lending its respected voice to amplify ours. When a trusted local business highlights Habitat’s impact, it helps our entire community see that housing stability and compassion go hand in hand with business leadership.

Our Partner of the Year Award recognizes groups and individuals for their outstanding service and commitment to prioritizing safe and affordable housing throughout our community. This year, the award was presented to James McCoy for his leadership in establishing the Habitat Solar carbon offset initiative.

James is an advocate for sustainability and reducing environmental impact. As he learned about Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s green building practices and our goal to install solar panels on as many homes as possible, he saw a unique opportunity to help raise funds for IVHFH.

Combining his passion and expertise, James developed Habitat Solar, a carbon offset initiative that encourages individuals to compensate for emissions from flights and other carbon-intensive activities while funding solar installations on Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity homes. Through the program, donors reduce long-term carbon emissions and reduce energy costs for families. James’ innovation has expanded our capacity, creating support while allowing us to focus on sharing the opportunity with the community.

To date, IVHFH has installed solar panels on 15 homes, and with support from Habitat Solar and other partners, we now have funding to install solar on all homes under construction through June 2027. We are grateful to James McCoy and all those involved in Habitat Solar. Together, we build homes powered for the future.

Learn more about our green building at bit.ly/habitatbuildsgreen and Habitat Solar at habitatsolar.org

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