More than 20 years ago, MATTER’s founders, Megan and Dennis Doyle asked themselves this simple yet profound question: “What do we have in our own two hands that can change the world?” As commercial real estate developers, they looked around and found their answer: empty warehouse space. Launching their own non-profit organization, Hope for the City, they began filling the empty space with life-saving medical equipment and supplies to put into the hands of people who needed them most. Two decades later, Hope for the City is now MATTER and continues to connect needs to resources, impacting tens of millions of lives since its founding.
At MATTER, we believe everyone matters and has something to contribute to make our world a better place. Not everyone is able to make the global impact that Doyles have made, but everyone can impact our world for good simply by offering what they have in their own two hands.
So, what do you have in your own two hands?
For Mike Heinzerling, his answer was obvious: I can build a house. Building homes is what Mike does. His company, Heartland Homes, has been in the business of building homes in the Twin Cities since 2017. When he heard about MATTER, he offered to build a MATTERhouse with proceeds going to MATTER and Community Cares MN, a local nonprofit partnering with area food shelves and pantries delivering fresh and healthy food to families in our surrounding communities.
Mike explains what motivated him to build the MATTERhouse. “I really wanted to use my business for a philanthropic purpose. I like what MATTER and Community Cares MN are all about. They’re helping people get very basic needs met, like medical care and healthy food. It meant a lot to be able to make an impact both here in Minnesota and around the world.”
Of course, building a home is a community-wide effort. Joining Heartland Homes in this generous endeavor were some of Minnesota’s finest suppliers and sub-contractors, including Hallquist Design that created the house plan, Cambria which donated the kitchen and bathroom vanity tops, Affinity Flooring which donated the wood floors, Radloff Blacktopping which donated their services to blacktop the driveway, and so many more.
The beautiful two-story home in Farmington was sold to a young family earlier this year. As with every home he builds, Mike was happy to see his hard work pay off through the smiles of appreciation from the buyers. But with this home, it went a little deeper.
“It’s always rewarding to finish a house and know that it will become a home full of memories for the family that buys it. With the sale of the MATTERhouse, the feeling of satisfaction was even greater. Not only am I happy for the new homeowners, who tell me they love their new home every time we talk, but I’m also happy for the people that will benefit through the work of MATTER and Community Cares MN.”
On October 7th, Mike presented MATTER with a check from the proceeds of the sale. Accepting on MATTER’s behalf, was Quenton Marty, MATTER President. “On behalf of all of us at MATTER, we thank you so much for the contribution you made. And for all the work you do in our community and for all the people you’re serving around the world, we just say a big Thank You!”
In addition to Mike and Heartland Homes, MATTER also wishes to thank the following companies who contributed to the MATTERhouse:
ABC Millwork
Action Overhead Garage Doors
Affinity Flooring
Bohlen Surveying
Cambria
City View Electric
Cross Nurseries, Inc.
Dicks Sanitation/Lakeville Sanitation
Don Strohbehn Construction
Drywall Supply
Ferguson Enterprises
Focal Point
Hallquist Design
Installed Building Solutions
JB Media
JJ Enterprises
Lyman Lumber
McDonald Construction
Original Rock Designs
Radloff Blacktopping
Schweiters Companies
Southern Lights
To learn more about Mike’s support of MATTERhouse, watch this short interview with Mike and Quenton.
