A mid-sized private university in the United States has made a big contribution to its hometown by building homes for the homeless. More than 400 volunteers from United Nations Academic Impact member institution Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, banded together to construct the three tiny homes. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members worked for seven days in September to build the structures from the ground up. The completed homes—each featuring a vaulted ceiling, electricity, heating, four windows, a bed and a small porch—were donated to Joppa, a non-profit organization that helps homeless people survive, get housing and rebuild their lives.
It was invigorating to see the positive impact that Drake's collective efforts could bring to bear on community challenges, said Andy Verlengia, Director of Alumni Relations at Drake. It always feels great to volunteer, but sometimes I think you can show up to a volunteer project, work for a few hours, and wonder 'What did I accomplish?' Verlengia said. The great thing about the tiny home project was every volunteer swung hammers, or operated saws or carried equipment, and at the end of the day they saw the progress on someone's future home—and if they dropped by the next day, or the next day, they'd see how the work of their peers built on their own contribution.
One hot and sunny day, early in the volunteer effort, Assistant Professor of Librarianship Cameron Tuai installed a window into one of the three tiny homes. He commented that he'd drive by the worksite every day that week and feel proud when he saw the window that he'd helped install. Verlengia took that thought a step further: Someday soon, he said, a person will look out through that window, potentially on a rainy evening, and feel grateful for the view—and for the safety and security that their home provides.
Drake's tiny home build was in observance of DU Good Day, a national day of service held annually by the University. Nationally, DU Good Day 2017 was celebrated in 12 cities—including Houston, Texas, which is recovering from a major hurricane—with Drake alumni and friends in each city working on community service projects. This year, Drake's Central Iowa Regional Alumni Board decided to extend their Des Moines day of service to a full week to accommodate the tiny home project, after learning of Joppa's plan to create a transitional village consisting of 50 tiny homes. The village will provide a safe space, close to public transit, where people can spend 6–24 months overcoming obstacles to housing. A group of students in a Drake University Master of Public Administration course even connected with Joppa to study the use of tiny homes as a sustainable solution to homelessness.
Over the last nine years, Joppa has helped 285 people get off the streets here in Iowa, and just over 85 percent of those men and women are still in their homes, said Joe Stevens, co-founder and CEO of Joppa. We know how to help people survive, find housing and rebuild their lives—our transitional village is the next step toward accomplishing that mission.
Student-athletes from Drake's football team, men's and women's soccer teams, women's basketball team, and several other sports contributed to the tiny home build. Even the Provost—the University's chief academic officer, Sue Mattison—helped install shingles on the roofs of the homes. Drake's DU Good Day, and the myriad community engagement projects in which Drake participates throughout the year, are a perfect complement to the academic mission of the University, Provost Mattison said. Community service and service-learning experiences help students to develop as responsible global citizens. We are proud that the overwhelming majority of Drake students participate in such efforts during their times at Drake, and as alumni, continue to serve their communities throughout their lives.