Retired engineer donates fifth Habitat home

Larry Hossfeld is one of Twin Cities Habitat’s biggest supporters. He donated his fifth Habitat home last month, a feat of incredible generosity.

But his support isn’t just financial; Larry also donates time. He spends hundreds of hours on build sites sharing his engineering expertise with volunteers.

“He’s really a good teacher. He’ll always make sure you’re getting it right – and if you’re not, he’ll patiently point out what you’re doing wrong,” said Kathy Tolo (Leadership Giving Officer at Twin Cities Habitat), who has worked on a number of build sites with Larry. “We love having such a skilled volunteer.”

Larry started his involvement with Twin Cities Habitat in 1990 as a part-time volunteer. After retiring from his engineering career, he began volunteering full-time – spending 40 to 50 hours on build sites every week. He is now working on a Women Build site in North Minneapolis.

“He is extremely knowledgeable. He’s pretty quiet, but he’s always willing to offer information and share knowledge. It’s a pleasure to work with him,” said Stephanie Moran, an employee of Twin Cities Habitat who is working with Larry on the Women Build site.

Though he is one of Twin Cities Habitat’s most active community members, Larry is a quiet, humble man who prefers to remain behind the scenes.  This was apparent at his fifth home dedication where he spoke only briefly and stayed out of sight.

The home dedication took place June 20^th and was for Fowziya Kedir, an Ethiopian woman who dreamed of having a safe, stable home to raise her son and daughter in.

At the dedication ceremony, Fowziya expressed fierce gratitude to Larry for making this dream a reality. “I do not have the words to say how thankful I am for Larry,” she said in an emotionally-wrought speech. “He is a godsend.”

This sentiment was expressed time and time again in the scrapbook compiled by families affected by Larry's kindness. Some families wrote letters describing the positive changes that have occurred living in homes donated by Larry; others had their children draw him pictures:

("Thank you for the place I call home")

The emerging consensus is obvious: Larry is an amazing man, whose actions have touched the lives of many. Why does he continue to support Twin Cities Habitat in myriad, amazing ways? In his own words: “I guess I think of my mission as helping to make the world a better place - not really that complicated.”