Joppa Selected for Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute Project

Joppa Village has been selected as a community project for the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute’s leadership program.

Each year, the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute hosts a leadership development program for 50 leaders in Central Iowa. These leaders meet for nine months to build their networks and leadership skills through a variety of programs, classes and activities. The group also takes on community projects.

Joppa Village was one of five community projects chosen for this year’s program. Over the next few months, 10 community leaders will lead an effort to help move the village from ideation phase to planning phase.

As part of the program, Amy Hunold-Van Gundy, the Tiny Home Coordinator for Joppa, and several members of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute team went to Madison, Wisconsin, to tour and visit the OM Village.

The OM Village is one of many tiny home villages in the U.S. and has been in operations for 18 months. The team spent the day learning about the village and how it helps homeless individuals in Madison, which shares similar demographics, weather and homeless services structure as Des Moines.

While there, the group had the opportunity to interview police, city leaders, neighbors, businesses, collaborative school programs, board members and residents. They noted an overwhelming level of support for the village in the community.

Check out this video from videographer Adam Beecher and the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute Team, to see neighbors and community members talk about the village project.