Who We Are and What We Do
MISSION
The mission of Hearts & Hammers –Twin Cities is to provide exterior home improvement assistance for Senior Citizens, Disabled Adults, and Veterans of the United States Armed Forces or their Surviving Spouse so that they may continue living independently.
This is accomplished by organizing teams of volunteers and providing them with the necessary leadership, expertise, resources, and materials. A typical Hearts & Hammers home requires significant exterior painting, moderate carpentry, and landscaping to restore the weatherproofing, security, and overall appearance of the home. Assistance is provided at no cost to homeowners and is completed on Program Days held multiple yearly. Program Days represent the culmination of multiple activities, including:
Home selection, team captain training, a needs assessment, materials and resource coordination, volunteer registration, and site preparation.
Labor for Program Days is provided by teams of volunteers from Twin Cities-area businesses, professional associations, and churches. An average team consists of fifty volunteers from up to three different organizations. Hearts & Hammers recommends that volunteering organizations make monetary or other contributions to help cover the costs associated with rehabilitating their home on Program Day. In return, Hearts & Hammers provides teams with materials and supplies, including ladders, scrapers, paint, pails, brushes, etc. dumpsters, portable restrooms, and boom lifts (if necessary) are also provided by Hearts & Hammers for each site.
Learn More About Volunteering.
HISTORY
In the 1980s, returned Peace Corps volunteer architect Bob Walker and the Dallas chapter of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers sought to create a social activity that would allow them to utilize their experience for the benefit of the community. They began by refurbishing an elderly minister’s home. The following year nine homes were refurbished and Hearts & Hammers – Dallas was born. Mr. Walker recognized the overwhelming need for home rehab among people that had the most difficult time affording and/or performing such improvements: the elderly, disabled and those immediately above or below the poverty level.
Since its founding in 1987, Hearts & Hammers – Dallas has rehabbed over 1,200 homes in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. The organization is now more than 3,000 volunteers strong and continues to prosper in Texas. The Dallas-Ft. Worth chapter has received national and regional recognition for its efforts.
Following his relocation to the Twin Cities, Mr. Walker created the second chapter of Hearts & Hammers. Since its creation in 1997, Hearts & Hammers – Twin Cities has rehabbed over 500 homes. On October 1st of 2018 Hearts & Hammers transitions Metro Paint-A-Thon from GMCC, for more than 110 years, GMCC served the Minneapolis area through programs including Metro Paint-A-Thon, which has served more than 7,000 low-income households over 35 years with home improvements and exterior home painting. GMCC wanted to ensure that these important services for elders and homeowners with disabilities continue and expand. “Hearts & Hammers is the perfect home for Metro Paint-A-Thon to continue and thrive given their mission to provide exterior home improvement assistance for senior citizens, disabled adults, and veterans.”- Stated GMCC.
In 2018, the organization will coordinate approximately 2,000 volunteers from more than 70 different organizations to refurbish homes throughout the Twin Cities.
Nominate a Deserving Homeowner
DONATE
Your donation helps ensure that deserving homeowners in the Twin Cities can get the assistance they need to help them continue living independently in their own homes. Because of our unique volunteer-driven program, Hearts & Hammers dedicates $0.83 of every dollar donated directly to provide assistance to those in need.
$0.83 of Every Dollar Is Donated Directly to Providing Assistance for Those in Need
Hearts & Hammers Most Recent 990
GOVERNANCE
Hearts & Hammers – Twin Cities, Inc. is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which is governed by its volunteer Board of Directors.
Officers
KARL WEISSENBORN | CHAIR | Short Elliott Hendrickson
TONY YANKAUSKAS | TREASURER | CMA
AMY THOMPSON | SECRETARY | MC GOUGH CONSTRUCTION
Board of Directors
CHARLES CAMPION | Final Coat Painting
TERRY COLEMAN | Kraus-Anderson Construction
AMBER KOEHLER | Target Corporation
ELLING OLSON | Sambatek
JOE PRITZKOW | Mortenson Construction
TERRY SHIDLA | CISSP
ERIC STENDAHL | CHAIR EMERITUS | Sage Homes
Executive Staff
RANDI PREBIL | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MELANIE MCCORMICK | OPERATIONS MANAGER
CLAUDIA BOYSEN | EXECUTIVE ADMIN
Advisory Board
BRUCE ENGELSMA | Kraus-Anderson Construction
TOM ENLOW – Enlow Companies
C.R. HACKWORTHY | Anchor Real Estate Group
ROBERT HUBER | Stinson Leonard Street
JIM MALECHA | Egan Company
MIKE MOORE | The Standard
TOM ZESSMAN | US BANK
MIKE FENNER | Target Corporation
BOB WALKER | FOUNDER | Walker & Associates
