Habitat for Humanity North Central Iowa

08/28/2026

Same amazing group, another BIG transformation!

THANK YOU to the incredible team from Family Treatment Court Center for coming out to volunteer with us again! 👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻

This time, they took on our front office gardens, which had definitely turned into little jungles! 🌿They put in some serious work w**ding, cleaning, clearing, and trimming, and the difference is incredible! Our gardens are looking SO much better thanks to all their hard work.

But what makes this group so special? They somehow manage to tackle the hard work with plenty of laughter, smiles, and great teamwork along the way! 💚

And we HAVE to give a special CONGRATULATIONS to Carolann — the beauty in the tie-dye! ✨ She got ENGAGED right before coming to volunteer with us, then showed up ready to spend her afternoon w**ding!
Talk about dedication, from “I’m engaged!” to “Where’s the w**d pile?” 😂😂

We are SO happy for you, Carolann! Congratulations on this exciting new chapter! 🎉💍

We are incredibly grateful for this hardworking group and the time, energy, and positive attitudes you continue to bring to Habitat. Thank you for helping us build more than homes, you’re helping us create beautiful, welcoming communities right here in North Central Iowa! 🏡💚

08/28/2026

We believe everyone deserves a safe, stable home 🏡

A home is just the beginning, it’s where families grow, dreams take root, and communities thrive.

With your help, we’re not just building houses, we are building hope!

🔨 Every nail = action
💚 Every gift = change

Make a difference today: https://habitatnci.charityproud.org/Donate

08/24/2026

What a Celebration! 🎉

This past Friday night, we gathered at Southbridge Mall for our Community Build-A-Thon Awards Celebration, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate the incredible teams, creativity, generosity, and community spirit behind this year’s event!

The Community Build-A-Thon began during COVID, giving companies, families, and individuals a safe, creative, and fun way to give back to our community. In those early years, everything was built, shared, and celebrated virtually. This year marked the first time we brought the Build-A-Thon off the web and into the community, with an open Build Gallery and our first-ever public Awards Celebration — and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out! Seeing people walk through the gallery, enjoy the builds, cheer on the teams, and come together to celebrate brought so much joy to all of us.

With teams, coworkers, friends, families, and community members filling the gallery, the evening was packed with laughter, excitement, and celebration! From an incredible dessert spread to Joe Malone, with Connoisseur Media LIVE on the radio, interviewing teams and sharing the stories behind their builds, and The Globe Gazette joining us to capture the celebration and share the story with the community, there was so much to see, hear, and celebrate. All 14 teams were recognized for the incredible work they put into their builds, with 9 teams taking home awards for their creativity, craftsmanship, community spirit, and fundraising efforts!

🏆 Best in Show – Adult Entry: First Citizens Bank
🏆 Best in Show – Children’s Entry: The Ruge Sisters, Team McCallister
🏆 Habitat Hero Award - Hazel’s House for Habitat
🏆 Community Spirit Award: ATURA architecture
🏆 Best Craftsmanship: Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company
🏆 Blueprint Brilliance Award: Bank Iowa of Clear Lake, Iowa
🏆 Best Neighborhood: Mountain Point Meadows, ATURA & Arrows Dei Academy- Team Six
🏆 Most Creative Award: Sunset Canyon, ATURA & Arrows Dei Academy - Team Eight
🏆 Most Likely to Be on HGTV: Jane Fischer & Associates LLC

We also celebrated five teams who went above and beyond in fundraising, each receiving a gift basket in recognition of their incredible efforts thanks to a Thrivent Financial Action Team grant! A special congratulations to First Citizens Bank, who raised the most overall and earned our Legacy Award! Every dollar raised through the Community Build-A-Thon helps Habitat for Humanity of North Central Iowa build and repair REAL homes for REAL families right here in our community. It’s amazing to see how these creative little builds can make such a BIG difference!

Most of all, THANK YOU to every team, sponsor, donor, volunteer, family member, friend, and community member who helped make this event possible. You took a tiny build and turned it into a BIG impact.

2026 Build-A-Thon Teams: First Citizens Bank | Ruge Sisters | Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company | Hazel Frye | Bank Iowa CL | Jane Fischer & Associates LLC | ATURA Architecture in partnership with Arrows Dei Academy with Team 1, Team 2, Team 3, Team 4, Team 5, Team 6, Team 7 and Team 8!

2026 Build-A-Thon Sponsors: CENTURY 21 Preferred | Connoisseur Media | First Citizens Bank | CLtel | Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company | The Wattnem Family | Metalcraft Inc. | Bank Iowa | Pritchard Family Auto Stores | Hildebrand Real Estate | The Bangoo Family | Farmers State Bank

And finally, a heartfelt thank you to Southbridge Mall for welcoming the Community Build-A-Thon into your space and for being such an incredible partner. The storefront was the perfect place to bring our Build Gallery to life and gave our community the opportunity to walk through, enjoy, and experience these amazing creations throughout the month. We are so grateful for your partnership and for helping us make this first year of bringing the Build-A-Thon into the community so special! 👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻

From tiny buildings to BIG dreams, this is what happens when a community builds together. Thank you for helping us make a difference, one creative build, one generous gift, and one REAL home at a time. 💚🏡

08/24/2026

📣 Extra, extra, read all about it! 📰

Our Community Build-A-Thon made the news! We’re so excited to see the Globe Gazette share the story of this fun community event and the incredible teams who came together to build, create, and raise funds for Habitat for Humanity of North Central Iowa.

A huge THANK YOU to the Globe Gazette for stopping out, joining us for the celebration, and sharing the Build-A-Thon story with the community. We’re grateful for your support and for helping us spread the word about the impact these teams are making! 💚

Those who built miniature houses to raise money for Habitat for Humanity of North Central Iowa to build real ones were honored Friday. ⤵️ Find a link to the story in the comments.

08/20/2026

📣 SHOUT OUT & THANK YOU
to Southbridge Mall and Alexis Hauge for their partnership with this years Community Build-A-Thon and this great reel sharing our Build Gallery and information about our Awards Celebration this Friday!👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻

EVERYONE IS INVITED!🎉
Join us this Friday, August 21st, for our Community Build-A-Thon Awards Celebration at Southbridge Mall! The event is open to the entire public, with the celebration running from 4:30–6:00 PM and the awards program beginning at 5:30 PM. Light refreshments and desserts will be provided!

Come see the incredible builds, cheer on your favorite teams, and celebrate the BIG impact they’re making in our community!

Don’t miss Joe Malone LIVE on-site with Connoisseur Media starting at 3:00 PM! Come early, check out the builds, cast your vote, and get ready for an evening of community and celebration!

Support your favorite team. Be part of a bigger cause. Build together. Make a difference in our community.

TEAMS: ATURA architecture in partnership with Arrows Dei Academy | First Citizens Bank | Ruge Sisters | Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company | Hazel Frye | Bank Iowa CL | Jane Fischer & Associates LLC

THANK YOU TO OUR BUILD-A-THON SPONSORS: CENTURY 21 Preferred | Connoisseur Media | First Citizens Bank | Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company | The Wattnem Family | Metalcraft Inc. | Bank Iowa | Pritchard Family Auto Stores | Hildebrand Real Estate | The Bangoo Family

08/19/2026

2 DAYS TO GO! 🏆
There’s still time to support your favorite team and cast your “vote”!

Scan the QR Code to view the Community Build-A-Thon Leaderboard, choose your favorite build, and make a donation to help your team climb the leaderboard! The “Legacy Award” will be awarded to the team that raises the most money throughout the Build-A-Thon! ✨ Every donation counts and helps your favorite team get one step closer to taking home the award!

These may be small builds, but they’re making a BIG impact. Every dollar raised goes toward helping Habitat for Humanity of North Central Iowa build and repair REAL homes for local families right here in our community.

And don’t forget! 📣 EVERYONE IS INVITED!
Join us this Friday, August 21st, for our Community Build-A-Thon Awards Celebration at Southbridge Mall! The event is open to the entire public, with the celebration running from 4:30–6:00 PM and the awards program beginning at 5:30 PM. Light refreshments and desserts will be provided!

Come see the incredible builds, cheer on your favorite teams, and celebrate the BIG impact they’re making in our community!

Don’t miss Joe Malone LIVE on-site with Connoisseur Media starting at 3:00 PM! Come early, check out the builds, cast your vote, and get ready for an evening of community and celebration!

Support your favorite team. Be part of a bigger cause. Build together. Make a difference in our community.

TEAMS: ATURA architecture in partnership with Arrows Dei Academy | First Citizens Bank | Ruge Sisters | Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company | Hazel Frye | Bank Iowa CL | Jane Fischer & Associates LLC

THANK YOU TO OUR BUILD-A-THON SPONSORS: CENTURY 21 Preferred | Connoisseur Media | First Citizens Bank | Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company | The Wattnem Family | Metalcraft Inc. | Bank Iowa | Pritchard Family Auto Stores | Hildebrand Real Estate | The Bangoo Family

08/13/2026

MEET OUR COMMUNITY BUILD-A-THON CELEBRITY JUDGES! ⭐

Last night, our incredible Community Build-A-Thon Celebrity Judges got an up-close look at all of the amazing builds on display in our Build Gallery at Southbridge Mall!

The judges toured the gallery and browsed each build in person before sitting down together to watch a slideshow featuring the teams’ building progress photos and finished videos. They heard directly from our teams about why they participated in the fundraiser, what inspired their builds, how they brought their ideas to life, and the creative materials they used to make their designs a reality! 🏡

Then came the tough part… judging! Our judges worked together to score and rank each build, take notes, compare their favorites and ultimately decide this year’s winners.

A HUGE thank you to our 2026 Celebrity Judges for giving their time and bringing their expertise, creativity and enthusiasm to this year’s Build-A-Thon! 👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻

📣 Our Celebrity Judges:
• Dalena Barz — Connoisseur Media
• Justin Squire — Henkel Construction
• Zelda Elwood — EXIT Realty Mason City & Elwood Construction
• Larry Elwood — Larry Elwood Construction
• Alice Hanley — Connoisseur Media
• Bridgette Exman Dunn — Mason City Community School District
• Josh Guyer — MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Foundation & Habitat for Humanity of North Central Iowa Board President

📻 TUNE IN TOMORROW at 11:40 AM on Star 106.1 to hear the winners announced LIVE!

🎉 COME CELEBRATE WITH US!
Join us Friday, August 21st at Southbridge Mall from 4:30–6:00 PM for our Community Build-A-Thon Awards Celebration! Awards will begin at 5:30 PM, everyone is welcome to join us as every team is recognized and this year’s awards are presented. Enjoy light refreshments and desserts as we celebrate the creativity, teamwork and generosity that made this fundraiser possible!

We also want to give another HUGE shoutout to Southbridge Mall for allowing us to use this incredible space and giving us the opportunity to partner together to bring these amazing builds to the community. We are so grateful for your generosity and continued support of Habitat for Humanity of North Central Iowa!

TEAMS: ATURA architecture in partnership with Arrows Dei Academy | First Citizens Bank | Ruge Sisters | Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company | Hazel Frye | Bank Iowa CL | Jane Fischer & Associates LLC

THANK YOU TO OUR BUILD-A-THON SPONSORS: CENTURY 21 Preferred | Connoisseur Media | First Citizens Bank | Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company | The Wattnem Family | Metalcraft Inc. | Bank Iowa | Pritchard Family Auto Stores | Hildebrand Real Estate | The Bangoo Family

Joe Malone

08/13/2026

BIG THANK YOU & SEND-OFF TO BREYDEN!🎉

What started as a summer class assignment turned into something so much more. Breyden chose Habitat for Humanity of North Central Iowa for his project, reached out to tour our facilities, and we’re so grateful that one assignment turned into a regular volunteer several days a week!

From his very first day with us, helping build a ramp through our Aging in Place Program, it was clear that he was going to be someone special. Our entire staff and our regular volunteer “coffee crew” quickly came to love having him around! 💚

Breyden brought such a positive attitude, eagerness to learn, strong work ethic and genuine commitment to every project he took on. Throughout his time with us, he jumped into so many different projects and tasks, from building and repairing steps and a porch to trim work, mudding, cleaning, helping in our ReStore North Iowa, and so much more. No matter what was asked of him, he was always willing to jump in, learn something new and give it his very best, with an attitude that never wavered.

Breyden, THANK YOU for choosing to spend your time this summer with us and for becoming such an important part of our Habitat family. Your hard work has made a difference, and your presence will truly be missed around here! 🏡

This fall, Breyden will continue his education at the University of Northern Iowa, and while we're sad to see him go, we are SO excited for what’s ahead. We know he is going to do amazing things!

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer Breyden, as you get ready to head back to college and we hope you have an incredible deer hunting season with your dad! We’ll be cheering you on every step of the way!

Thank you for everything, Breyden! We’re so grateful for you! 👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻

08/10/2026

📣 YOU ARE INVITED! THE COMMUNITY BUILD-A-THON GALLERY IS OFFICIALLY OPEN! ✨🏡

The doors are open, the builds are on display, and we are SO excited for you to see what our incredible Build-A-Thon teams created!

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Southbridge Mall, our Community Build-A-Thon Gallery is officially open to the public Monday, August 10 through Monday, August 31 in the mall storefront located across from the indoor playground!🎉

Stop by anytime to walk through the gallery, check out the amazing creations built by teams from across North Iowa, and see how these little builds are helping make a BIG difference for local families! 💚🏡

And while you’re there, make plans to join us for our Awards Celebration!

🗓️ Friday, August 21
🕟 4:30–6:00 PM
🏆 Awards Program Begins at 5:30 PM
🥄 Light refreshments & desserts
📍 Southbridge Mall

Come celebrate the teams, admire their incredible creations, and find out who takes home this year’s awards!
Everyone is welcome, we can’t wait to see you at the gallery! 🎉

TEAMS: ATURA architecture in partnership with Arrows Dei Academy | First Citizens Bank | Ruge Sisters | Clear Lake Bank & Trust | Hazel Malone | Bank Iowa CL | Jane Fischer & Associates LLC

THANK YOU TO OUR BUILD-A-THON SPONSORS: CENTURY 21 Preferred Connoisseur Media First Citizens Bank Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company The Wattnem Family Metalcraft Inc. Bank Iowa Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hildebrand Real Estate The Bangoo Family