A University of Northern Iowa professor is helping local men find community, connection and purpose during retirement through an initiative that’s the first of its kind in Iowa.
Melinda Heinz, an assistant professor of gerontology, started the Cedar Valley Men’s Shed last year after learning about the global Men’s Shed movement, which provides gathering spaces for men — often those who are retired — to build friendships, share skills and engage with their communities.
She said the spaces can help fill a social void that can be left after retirement.
“Men’s Sheds are a great opportunity for men to get involved and engaged,” Heinz said on IPR's Talk of Iowa. “Creating a space like a Men’s Shed is a way for you to connect with other people, form new friendships, at a time when you might really need that.”
The Cedar Valley group meets weekly, alternating between sessions on UNI’s campus and community-based outings like volunteer projects. Activities have included inviting guest speakers, cleaning local parks, beekeeping demonstrations and constructing raised garden beds.
While anyone is welcome to join, the shed primarily attracts retired men seeking new hobbies and social opportunities after leaving the workforce. A few UNI students also participate regularly.
The Men’s Shed movement began in Australia in the 1990s as a way to address social isolation and depression among men. It has since expanded worldwide, with thousands of sheds operating in countries including Ireland, which has the highest concentration of Men's Sheds per capita, with more than 450.
Heinz first visited a shed in Ireland during a 2018 study abroad trip with her students.
“When we got there, I was blown away,” she said. “They had their own garden, they had an art studio, they had a wood shed, they had a gathering place to have conversation. It was so clear to me that this was bringing purpose to their lives.”
She returned to Ireland in 2022 as a Fulbright Scholar to study the sheds more extensively before launching her own in Iowa. It remains the only one in the state and one of around 30 in the United States.
For members like Bill Henninger, a retired law enforcement officer, the shed has provided both activity and community.
“There were only a few of us at first,” he said. “But then, as more men came in, meeting each other, learning about each other’s backgrounds and what they did in life with their work, the group grew, and we became more knowledgeable with each other.”
The group has taken part in community service and outreach projects, including maintaining a 13-acre park in Cedar Falls and repairing the local Cedar Bend Humane Society's donation box.
“It’s important for men not to isolate themselves and just sit and think on things on their own and try to solve everything on their own,” Henninger said.
Heinz hopes the Cedar Valley shed will eventually become self-sustaining, similar to those she studied abroad, as the concept is designed to be member-led.
“I think that's also a reason why it's so successful. The men have that autonomy to decide, ‘What are we interested in? How do we want to spend our time here? And how can we make that happen?’” she said.
