Service, social justice inspire Catholic Worker House co-founder

IOWA CITY — Five days a week, David Goodner works as a landscaper for an Earl May garden center. At night, he lives in and runs Iowa City's Catholic Worker House, providing shelter and meals for homeless or low-income people in Johnson County.

Goodner, 36, and his partner, Emily Sinnwell, opened the house last July. Goodner, an Iowa City native, graduated in 2009 from the University of Iowa and moved to Des Moines, where he got the inspiration.

In Des Moines, he worked as a professional organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, but also lived and volunteered at the Des Moines Catholic Worker House.

It was then that Goodner said he knew he wanted to move back to Johnson County and start the first Catholic Worker House in the area, at 1414 Sycamore St. in Iowa City.

'The Catholic Worker movement showed me how to live the life I want to lead,' he said. 'I just dove in head first.'

Goodner said the model of Catholic Worker movement, which began during the Great Depression and bred Catholic Worker houses across the country, had always drawn him with the ideals of service and fighting for social justice.

'If you want to walk in God's feet you have to walk with both feet: one foot is service and one is social justice. The Jesus that I follow was a poor country boy born in occupied territory. He housed the homeless and spoke truth to the powers that be. He's the main motivation for why I do what I do.'

Though local donations have helped Goodner and Sinnwell pay the majority of the $162,000 mortgage on the house and provide supplies, Goodner said his work as a landscaper is necessary to pay his own bills, as he receives no stipends.

But he has no regrets.

'When I get home from work, there's floors to be swept or mopped, data entry, bills to be paid, donor meetings to go to, meals to be cooked,' he said. 'I'm very fortunate to be able to do this. It's really hard for me to say I've sacrificed everything.'

Since the house opened late last summer, Goodner said about 50 individuals and families have stayed in the facility's six beds, and meals are served during the week. But opening the house was only the first phase, Goodner said.

This spring, the Catholic Worker House began serving hot meals each Saturday night and Sunday afternoon because Goodner said he knew other social service organizations were closed those days. The two were looking to fill the meal gap for homeless individuals or those looking to supplement their own food budget because they are unemployed or disabled, Goodner said. So far, they serve between 10 and 20 people on Saturday and Sunday, who stop in for a meal and a place to rest, shower or use free Wi-Fi.

The service has helped Kirk Livingood and Douglas Fulton, regulars at the Saturday and Sunday meal programs who are both searching for stable work and don't qualify for other food assistance programs.

Livingood, who is living out of his car, said he doesn't have a place to cook. Fulton said he sometimes would have to go hungry on Saturday and Sunday when other places are closed.

'When you have absolutely no currency, you've got to go somewhere,' Fulton said.

Goodner said he hopes to continue weekend meals and eventually open a second house downtown for those who can't walk or drive to the southeast side of town.

'The only thing greater than the amazing amount of housing and food assistance programs that already exist in the community is the unmet need that's still out there,' he said.

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