The House

09/29/2026

On Thursday, September 24, members of The House Board and Advisory Board sat down with members of the Vulnerable Community Coalition.

We came together in the spirit of collaboration, had a candid conversation, cleared up some misunderstandings, and recognized that while our approaches may differ, our goal is the same. During the meeting, legitimate questions were raised, we discussed them professionally, and we agreed that we are committed to continued conversation and collaboration where our missions align.

We are moving forward with the numerous agencies willing to sit at the same table, listen to one another, ask hard questions, and keep the people this work is intended to serve and our community at the center of the conversation. How we got here is only part of the story and what matters most now is what we choose to do next.

The House and the Coalition look forward to our next meeting continuing these conversations as we determine how The House and the Vulnerable Community Coalition can best work together moving forward.

09/20/2026

Our Amazon Wish List has been revamped and is now under our The House business account! Feel free to check it out, share with friends, and know that every single item sent our way is put to use responsibly and is taking care of our community. We appreciate our supporters and we absolutely could not do it without you! The Store is holding your generosity with admiration and gratefulness.

CarolAnn Eppens and Nicole Jacobs are diligently keeping track of needs and making sure that we don't receive an excess of one thing or another. ;)

09/04/2026

I’ve been a little quieter than usual about what’s next for The House, and if you know me, you probably know that usually means I’m up to something.

The last six months have taught me that sometimes the plan you start with isn’t the plan you’re supposed to finish with. Sometimes you get told no, sometimes the road gets blocked, sometimes you’re left completely dumbfounded and want to give up. And sometimes you stare at the problem long enough to realize… wait. There might be another way.

So there’s something brewing quietly in the background right now.

Something I’m really excited about. Something that still feels very much like The House—just maybe in a way we hadn’t originally imagined. I’m keeping the details close for a little while longer. Not because I don’t want to tell you—I am TERRIBLE at keeping exciting things to myself—but because some things deserve a little room to grow before you introduce them to the world.

Just know this: We’re still here, we’re still figuring it out, and we are not done.

Stay close. 👀

PS. Go check out The Store. ( Mason City) at 121 N Delaware Friday 4-7, Saturday 10-3, Sunday 10-3, and Monday 4-7. Every dollar goes into the mission and vision-which hasn’t changed!

08/27/2026

We are still here, we are still working toward a 24/7 low barrier shelter. We have not forgotten! Stay safe friends.

08/14/2026

Cold weather will be coming soon! We will be needing supplies. If able and can afford it grab some extra winter wear at those garage sales. Maybe you have an extra sleeping bag. See some socks on sale or a bunch you bought and just don’t like. How about those hand warmers? We will be needing them too. Thank you all for spreading kindness to those less fortunate.

07/31/2026

Please reach out to us or find us at The Store if you need. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GxvdbuJiY/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/23/2026

Hello all we are still here!! We are here for you. This song caught me, this am thinking of everyone!!

Citizen Soldier

07/15/2026

If it seems like we’ve been a little quiet lately, we promise—it’s not because nothing is happening. Quite the opposite.

Things are still happening behind the scenes at The House. We are still working toward the bigger picture, still navigating all the not-so-fun-but-very-necessary steps that come with doing this the right way, and currently looking for an architect who can help us with floor plans as we keep moving forward.

Meanwhile, The Store is getting some serious love.
We’ve been cleaning, sorting, moving, rearranging, moving things again because we changed our minds, and working hard to make The Store more functional, organized, and easier to shop. M

We’re also creating a special little curated, boutique-esque section for some of the incredible brand-new and higher-end items that have been donated to us.
When we do get everything reset and running smoothly, we’ll also be planning a customer appreciation event—because without you we couldn’t be us.

We miss our customers, conversations, the laughter, the random people stopping in just to see what’s going on. And we really really miss the community that existed inside those walls when our doors were open. The Store has never just been a store to us, and the last few weeks have made that even more obvious.

I also need to give a huge shoutout to our volunteers. You continue to show up, move mountains, tolerate my chaos, and believe in this mission even on the days when the path forward isn't perfectly clear (and when there isn’t even a path…IYKYK). Your endless support means more than we can put into a Facebook post. The House exists because people continue to believe that our community can—and should—do better for people experiencing homelessness.

VOLUNTEERS: Our next volunteer meeting will be August 5 at 6:00 PM. Location is still TBD, so watch for that update!

We are also considering holding a separate volunteer orientation for people who are interested in getting involved but maybe aren't quite sure where they fit yet. If that's you, drop us a comment or send us a message. We would love to know if there's interest! Fill out the pinned Google Form and Jenny will reach out!

And now for one of our MOST IMPORTANT updates:
You can reach us by phone!
Nicole: 641-861-0754
Amanda: 641-861-8541

Please save those numbers. Share them. Pass them along to someone who may need to reach us. Amanda and I are both actively involved in outreach and connecting people with resources, and having direct phone numbers available is a big step for us.

We haven't gone anywhere. We're still here, still working, still learning, still building. And we cannot wait to open those doors and see our people again.
The Store. ( Mason City)
Lisa Hardy
Susan Haynes
CarolAnn Eppens
Chelsea Louise
Lisa Baltierra
Lisa Mayberry
Jenni ODonnell
Lori Meacham
Pam Rodemeyer Christopherson

06/06/2026

Shout out to makers of the fliers!! Megan Markos nice work!