Spencer, IA (SYP) – June 28- July 4, 2026

The sounds of hammers, laughter, music, and conversation filled our worksites this week as 18 volunteers came together to help rebuild homes and restore hope in our community.

Our volunteer team included 11 youth from Alexanderwohl MYF, Jason and Rachel from Colorado, and five students from Conrad Grebel College. Their energy, willingness to learn, and servant hearts made a lasting impact—not only on the homes they worked in but also on the people they met along the way.

Throughout the week, volunteers worked on seven active job cards, tackling a wide variety of projects. At House 1, they installed drywall, painted, and built an accessibility ramp. House 2 was brought to completion with the finishing trim work. Crews continued drywall finishing and trim at House 3, while House 5 saw extensive progress with drywall installation, mudding, sanding, priming, painting, and final cleanup. Flooring and trim were installed at House 8, and volunteers completed drywall, bathroom plumbing, and cleanup at House 9. At House 11, the team installed insulation, sheetrock, taped and mudded walls, finished drywall, and installed doors and trim.

By week’s end, four job cards were officially completed, marking another important step forward for families recovering from the flooding.

One of the week’s highlights was the generous sharing of their musical talents from the Conrad Grebel students. According to volunteer evaluations, the highlights of the week were the awesome and delicious and abundant food provided and the relationships built with homeowners.

Looking ahead, our teams will continue making progress on the seven remaining open job cards while evaluating a new stack of potential projects referred by the Long-Term Recovery Group. We are grateful for each volunteer who gives their time and talents, and we look forward to another week of partnering with homeowners as, together, we continue rebuilding homes, restoring lives, and strengthening the community in Spencer.