A new chapter for the 129 House

The 129 House has long been home to the St. Paul residency program and the office of counselor Steve Kalber — and Steve isn’t going anywhere. But the house has taken on a new purpose: three nonprofits with deep roots in the St. Paul community have licensed the space at a nominal charge, making it a shared home base for ministries that are changing lives near and far.

This is not a landlord-tenant arrangement. It is a relationship built on shared values — a recognition that St. Paul’s five core values of Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Formation, Courageous Service, and Extravagant Generosity don’t stop at the sanctuary doors. They spill out into the neighborhood, into the larger Quad Cities, and, in one remarkable case, all the way to the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Camp Shalom has been serving campers in the region for nearly 50 years, tracing its origins directly to this congregation. Humble Dwellings has transformed hundreds of empty houses into homes for families who simply needed a hand. Empower Tanzania has spent more than 15 years working alongside rural Tanzanian communities to address the root causes of poverty — not with handouts, but with partnership.

Three organizations. Three missions. One address.

What unites them, beyond a shared zip code on the northwest corner of St. Paul᾽s campus, is a conviction that faith calls us outward. That caring for neighbors means showing up, rolling up sleeves, and listening well. And that even the most ordinary act of kindness — furnishing a bedroom, fixing a cabin roof, tutoring a child after school — can become something sacred.

Camp Shalom

For Gary and Chris Gibney, Camp Shalom has never really been separate from St. Paul. It started here.

Camp Shalom, a Christian outdoor ministry in the Quad Cities area, was born when St. Paul purchased land in 1974 to create an outdoor ministry for its youth. A young camper named it “Shalom” — the Hebrew word for peace. In 1996, the camp became an independent ecumenical ministry, opening its doors to the broader community.

The Gibneys, lifelong St. Paul members, have given decades of their time to keep the camp thriving. Gary has helped build and repair cabins, put roofs on buildings, and has spent years mowing the grounds — six to seven hours every Wednesday during camp time. Chris has cooked for retreats and sewed and laundered the more than 60 curtains around the camp each year, even storing them in their home during the off-season. Their daughter Maggie served as program director for eight years.

“Camp is my ministry,” Gary said, recalling a conviction he first felt during his own confirmation.

For campers, the experience is unlike anything they encounter at home. “There᾽s not so much social pressure out there,” Chris said. “Kids let down their guard. A real sense of camaraderie develops.”

The Gibneys hope more St. Paul people will get involved — whether through volunteering, donating supplies, or simply showing up for a work weekend.

“There is something for everyone,” Gary said. “A willingness to learn is all you need.”

Humble Dwellings

Tricia Judge wasn’t looking for a job when she found Humble Dwellings. She was looking for a way to serve.

“I felt like I had the organizational and leadership skills to do this,” she said. “And everyone I’ve met at Humble Dwellings is doing it out of pure service. Those are good people to be around.”

Humble Dwellings, a faith-based 501(c)3 nonprofit, transforms empty living spaces into furnished, welcoming homes for people in need across the greater Quad Cities area. It began with one act of kindness — filling a home for a man and his two young daughters — and has grown steadily ever since. In 2025, the organization served 165 families and more than 400 individuals.

Tricia serves as a lead volunteer, meeting with clients, selecting furniture and household items, and coordinating move-in day teams. Clients come through referrals from social service agencies — people escaping homelessness or domestic violence, young parents, individuals recovering from addiction or navigating mental health challenges.

“We try really hard to meet their preferences — whether it be colors, themes, if the kids like Hello Kitty,” she said. “So it feels like their home.”

She describes small moments that feel like confirmation: a shower curtain donated from a car trunk that happened to match perfectly, turning up in the St. Paul parking lot at exactly the right moment.

“Small miracles happen with every job,” Tricia said. “It’s God’s way of saying keep going.”

St. Paul people can get involved by donating gently used furniture and household items, or by volunteering on a move-in day team.

Empower Tanzania

Todd Byerly wants to be clear about one thing: Empower Tanzania is not a charity.

“We don’t do relief,” said Todd, the organization’s executive director and a former St. Paul operations director. “We’re interested in people. And empowering people.”

Founded in 2008 by a group of Iowans — including Todd and his wife Lori, who served as ELCA volunteer missionaries — Empower Tanzania works in partnership with rural communities in the Same and Mwanga districts of northeastern Tanzania. The need is staggering: two-thirds of Tanzanians live below the income poverty line of $1.25 per day, and Tanzania’s population of more than 71 million is projected to nearly double by 2050, placing intense pressure on education, health care, and water resources.

Empower Tanzania᾽s approach is grounded in listening. “We listen, listen again, and listen a third time before offering a suggestion,” Todd said.

The project Todd is most proud of is the Same Learning Center, launched in 2017. Six primary schools identify their most vulnerable students — children whose families cannot afford uniforms, school supplies, or exam fees. The center provides after-school tutoring, Saturday enrichment sessions, life skills, snacks, and a full meal. Since its founding, 100 percent of graduates have been accepted into secondary school. Last year, the center’s students outperformed all other students in the Same District on national exams. Beginning in 2024, graduating students receive four years of secondary school tuition.

Empower Tanzania also manages four major water projects, a six-acre demonstration farm, and a community tree-planting program to address the region’s reliance on charcoal and firewood.

“Education changes everything,” Todd said. “The local people know the problems they face — and in most cases, know the answers.”