Wai Yin Chan and Linda "Digger" Barrow Women Build

At Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity, home starts at thecore—the heart of our mission, the center of our community, and the peoplewho make it all possible.

This year’s Women Build honors two extraordinary women: Linda“Digger” Barrow and Wai Yin Chan. For decades, they have been aconstant presence on our build sites, embodying the spirit and strength of our COREvolunteer team—the Committed, Outstanding, Reliable, and Essential crew whoserve as an extension of our staff and mission. As IVHFH ConstructionManager Christy Shipley puts it, “They are CORE. They are the ones wecount on, in the heat and the snow, week after week. They are the heart of whatwe do.” And it’s not for recognition, Digger says, “We dowhat we do for people who don’t have what we have, but they are every bitdeserving.”

Wai Yin first volunteered after the 2008 floods, arrivingwith a broom and never leaving. She has been a quiet, joyful force of care,always doing what needed to be done. Digger, a self-taught carpenter withnearly 40 years of remodeling experience, joined Women Build in 2005. Sincethen, she’s brought her energy, humor, and fierce heart to nearly every homewe’ve built. The inside joke among the CORE team is that it also stands for Cantankerous,Ornery, Retired, but Essential—and honestly, we wouldn’t have it any otherway.

As we celebrate Wai Yin and Digger, they invite you to buildalongside them and a family who has worked hard to earn this opportunity: Mohamed,Shaza, and their four children. In 2015, Mohamed and Shaza left Sudanthrough the Diversity Visa program, determined to create a better life fortheir family. They settled in Iowa City, drawn by the warmth of the Sudanesecommunity. Despite Mohamed’s long, unpredictable work hours and Shaza’s dailychallenges managing their busy household while studying to become a dentalassistant, their biggest struggle remains finding a safe, affordable home withspace to thrive. Their apartment is small and noisy, with no place forplaydates, study time, or decent rest.

For Mohamed and Shaza, owning a Habitat home means more thanshelter; it’s an investment in their children’s future.

“My goal was safety. And good schools. This is myinvestment in my kids. I want to send them on the right track. Invest in thembetter so they can do better. They say the kids are affected positively ornegatively by their surroundings, so this is a very important thing,”Mohamed shares.

With your support, Mohamed and Shaza can build a stable,nurturing home where their children can flourish and their dreams can takeroot. This is the impact Wai Yin, Digger, and IVHFH’s Women Build committeehave made possible, year after year—and we ask for your continued commitmentand support.

Join our core: become one of the Committed, Outstanding,Reliable, and Essential supporters who form the foundation of everything we do.Raise the walls of a home that will give four children room to dream, parentsspace to breathe, and an entire family the safety and dignity they deserve.

Just like Wai Yin and Digger, you don’t need special skills.You just need a generous heart.