Hearts & Hammers reflects on the Camden News’ lasting community impact

(Reprinted from the Camden News, Vol. 50, No. 8)

As the Camden News prepares to publish its final editions, Hearts & Hammers – Twin Cities is reflecting on the role the newspaper has played in connecting North Minneapolis homeowners with free home repair services.

“I can’t tell you how many times over the past three years I’ve had a homeowner tell me they first heard about Hearts & Hammers because of something they read in the Camden News,” said Executive Director Trey Wodele. “People sometimes ask why Hearts & Hammers has done so much work in North Minneapolis. The answer is simple: people talk to each other. One homeowner tells a neighbor. A volunteer tells a friend. Someone reads about us in the Camden News. Before long, another homeowner who needs a little help knows where to turn.”

During Wodele’s first three seasons leading Hearts & Hammers, more than one out of every four homes completed or scheduled by the organization has been in North Minneapolis and the surrounding Northside communities. Wodele credits that reach not to a targeted effort, but to a strong network of neighbors, community organizations, and trusted local institutions that help connect residents with available resources.

The impact continues today. A disabled Camden senior recently contacted Hearts & Hammers after learning about the organization through the Camden News. This August, volunteers from Perkins and Will and Greiner Construction will paint his home, complete accessibility improvements, refresh the landscaping, and construct a wheelchair path connecting his patio to his accessibility ramp, making it easier for him to safely access his backyard. 

For more than three decades, Hearts & Hammers has partnered with volunteers to provide free exterior home maintenance and accessibility improvements for income-qualified older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities. The organization focuses on addressing maintenance issues before they become major deterioration, helping homeowners remain safely in the homes and neighborhoods they love.

“None of this happens alone,” Wodele said. “It takes volunteers, sponsors, donors, neighborhood leaders, and community partners. The Camden News has been one of those partners. By telling local stories, you connected people to opportunities to serve and reminded neighbors that they were part of something bigger than themselves.”

On behalf of the volunteers, donors, sponsors, and homeowners whose stories have appeared in its pages, Hearts & Hammers thanks the Camden News for its years of service to North Minneapolis. While this may be the newspaper’s final editions, its impact on the community will continue for years to come.