Exhale.

Welcome to HeartRoots.

Friendship takes time. We won't rush it.

No guilt. No hoops. No judgment.

Just neighbors showing up for neighbors. People who believe small gestures matter, kindness travels, and nobody gets where they're going alone.

Find Your Heartbeat See How It Works
glad you found us.

You were not made to do this alone.

HeartRoots gives you roots: food and essentials, mentors and real-work learning, second chances for dogs and the people who love them, and a place to find your heartbeat and walk loud.

Three roots. One heart. A place to belong.

Rooted in Christian faith. Open to every neighbor, whatever you believe.
this isn't new… we've just forgotten

Before systems… there was community.

We were designed to live this way.

Long before programs, platforms, or nonprofits, people took care of each other. Food was shared. Skills were taught. If someone fell behind, the community closed the gap.

We belonged to each other.

somewhere along the way —

we replaced proximity with programs.
we outsourced care.

Programs can organize help. But they can't replace the people who show up.

this is how we're called to live —

Old wisdom. Still true.

"Carry each other's burdens."Galatians 6:2
"Let us not love with words alone, but with actions."1 John 3:18, paraphrased
HeartRoots is —

not starting something new.
we're returning to something true.

People helping people. Not as charity. As community.

And this is what that looks like at HeartRoots
old wisdom, modern hands —

Three roots. One heart.

Pick the path that matches what you need, or what you're called to give. We'll meet you there.

Program 01 · The Basics

Food. Essentials. Breakfast.

Nothing grows on an empty stomach.

A community pantry with food plus household and hygiene items SNAP doesn't cover. A clothing closet. Farm-fresh eggs. And free breakfast for kids all summer. Right here in Traer.

See The Basics
Program 02 · Foundations

Mentors. Real work. Real futures.

Somebody has to believe in you first.

Mentorship for kids and adults. Students matched with local businesses for job shadowing and real-work experience. Trade pathways, with scholarships on the way. We don't fix people. We walk with them.

Find Your People
Program 03 · ReRooted

Bird dogs. Rescue. Second chances.

Every dog deserves a second chance. So do we.

ReRooted Bird Dogs retrains retired and surrendered sporting dogs, with upland outdoor programs for veterans and youth.

Coming soon ReRooted Rescue isn't taking animals yet, and there's no drop-off location. Please don't leave an animal at any HeartRoots building.

Meet ReRooted
come be part of it —

There's a seat at the table for you.

Whether you've got time, talent, treasure, or just a tomato plant — we want you in.

Find Support

Food, clothing, essentials, and a neighbor to talk to. No hoops. No judgment.

Get Help

Give

One-time or recurring gifts that support the mission. Your gift helps stock the pantry and feed kids breakfast all summer.

Give

Volunteer

Pantry shifts, breakfast mornings, events, and more. Pick your speed.

Sign Up

Share Your Garden

Extra tomatoes, zucchini, eggs, or fresh produce. Real food for real neighbors.

Donate Fresh

Lend Your Skills

Mentor, teach, build, or host a student at your business.

Get Matched
find your fit ✨

Find your heartbeat.

Six quick questions. Discover how you might fit into the HeartRoots community.

ready when you are —
What kind of heart
do you bring?
No wrong answers. Just go with your gut.
6 questions 4 heartbeats 90 seconds
where we sit, as a nation —

The reasons we do this.

Real numbers. Real neighbors. Real reasons these programs exist.

🍞
47.9 million
People lived in food-insecure U.S. households in 2024.

That's about 1 in 7 households, including 14.1 million kids.

USDA Economic Research Service · 2024 data
🧼
$0
of SNAP benefits can buy soap, diapers, or toilet paper.

Food assistance covers food. Hygiene and household basics are on families to figure out, which is why our pantry stocks them too.

USDA SNAP eligible-items rules
🐾
5.8 million
Dogs and cats entered U.S. shelters and rescues in 2025.

About 597,000 of them were euthanized. Second chances change that number one animal at a time.

Shelter Animals Count · 2025 Annual Report

The numbers are national. The work starts right here.

Behind every number is a neighbor in Traer.
what's growing —

A patch of ground. A whole lot of possibility.

We're planning a working teaching farm and rescue center in Tama County. A place where kids learn to grow food, neighbors share a harvest, veterans and families find meaningful work, and dogs get the second chances they deserve.

The harvest will help stock the HeartRoots pantry. The farm will become a classroom. And ReRooted will have a place to call home.

Land comes first. Roots take time. We're building this one phase at a time, with no made-up deadlines and plenty of room for anyone who wants to help.

See What's Growing Help Plant It
HeartRoots

Root deep. Grow together. Walk loud.

HeartRoots is a Christian, faith-based nonprofit in Traer, Iowa, open to every neighbor. We exist so nobody builds their life, their family, or their future alone. The basics matter. Foundations matter. Second chances matter. You matter.

Get Help Get Involved Give
Hi neighbor! 👋 Got a question? I've got roots in all the answers.