Drake Builds Three Tiny Homes for Joppa

The rhythmic “ther-ump, ther-ump” sound of the nail guns echoed off the brick buildings of the Drake campus, making the small construction project seem to fill the neighborhood.

The Drake University Alumni Relations had organized a tiny home-build for Joppa Outreach in a parking lot across the street from the main campus. Three 8-foot by 12-foot framed-in homes were getting their roofs that September day.

The Joppa build project was one of 11 projects around the country organized by Drake alumni during the University’s first DU Good Week.

“Drake educates people to be global citizens, to care about and give back to their communities,” says Andy Verlengia, Director of Alumni Relations at Drake. “We are very excited about this opportunity to harness the potential of the Drake community to have a powerful and tangible impact on the lives of those in need.”

Verlengia estimates that more than 200 Drake students, faculty and alumni would work on the build during DU Good Week. On roofing day, members of the football team unloaded and moved materials around the site. Women from the tennis and cross-country teams insulated the homes.

“It’s amazing to see how fast the transformation from a pile of lumber into a home goes,” says Ashley Panzi, Housing and Construction Manager at Joppa, as she watches roofers lay and nail the shingles, while other volunteers unload drywall materials. “It’s fun to see all these students, teachers, community members do this thing. Volunteers, supplies, energy and enthusiasm—I’m just blown away.”

“People are proud to help to do something that will directly affect someone,”Verlengia says. “We had a volunteer install a window in one of the tiny houses yesterday and he came back later that day to look at the window again. I imagine he was thinking, ‘I did that window! And someday soon Joppa will have a someone living there, looking out MY window.’”

“I think (Joppa’s tiny houses) are a good solution to transitioning to permanent housing,” says Bailee Cofer, Drake Senior from Overland Park, Kansas. “People will be safe there, out of the weather, and it gives people a taste of what it’s like to be a homeowner. I think it may motivate them to go through the process it takes to get permanent housing.”

Along with the Drake University volunteers, the build also depended on a selfless group of skilled construction people. Rusty Pearson from Wolf Construction served as construction advisor and site manager all week.

“Working on this project isn’t about me. Having a servant heart isn’t about getting credit for something. It’s about the work.  I’ve never been homeless, but if I give my time and it means someone will never have to be homeless again, that’s what it’s all about,” Pearson says. And that about nails it.

The completed homes will initially be used in different locations around Des Moines to educate the public about Joppa’s tiny home project to end homelessness. Then they will become part of a 50-home community that will house people for six to 24 months while they get back on their feet.

https://www.facebook.com/JoppaOutreach/videos/10154647447852084/