The Moline Community Development Corporation (Moline CDC) is back with its third annual Handy at Home Workshop Series.
Crystal Crayne is the operations and program manager for Renew, Moline, and Moline CDC.
“The purpose of this workshop is to bring knowledge to the residents of Moline and the entire Quad City area on just general home maintenance,” Crayne said in an interview with WVIK. “It's really great just to reduce the maintenance cost of homeowners and build confidence. And also it's important to preserve the value of the homes as well.”
The workshop series covers a variety of home repairs, with hands-on demonstrations and instructor-led discussions. Each session is sponsored by a local business.
The first workshop, sponsored by MidAmerican Energy, is on Monday, January 26th. They will be discussing energy efficiency, including how to identify drafts and improve installation.
“And we also have another person coming in. His name is Ted Brown, and he is an independent contractor. He's going to talk about how to install smart thermostats and weather stripping as well,” Crayne said.
Crayne says there are limited spots for each session.
“Some residents have been asking in past workshops, we do give a survey, and we ask different topics they may want to cover. But plumbing and electrical have been in every workshop series because they're so popular. We usually sell out of those.”
All workshops take place 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Butterworth Center and Deere-Wiman House Education Center, 701 12th Avenue, in Moline. Tickets are $20 for Moline residents and $25 for non-residents per workshop.
“It does help us make sure that we can provide these workshops in the future. And the costs include any materials we use,” Crayne said. “There is a fee to have some of the presenters there. Not all of them, but some of them do require a fee. So it helps us with that as well. We are a 513 nonprofit organization, so it helps all the way around.”
The capacity for most workshops is 12. According to a Moline CDC media release, “The program has demonstrated measurable results: participants routinely report saving over $100 on repairs using the skills learned in each session.”
For more information on future workshops and to register, visit their website.
2026 Workshop Dates & Topics:
- January 26 – Energy Efficiency Essentials (Sponsored by MidAmerican Energy)
- February 23 – Wired for Success: Wiring Outlets & More (Sponsored by Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors)
- March 23 – Plumbing Perfections: Bathroom Basics and Beyond (Sponsored by eXp Realty)
- April 27 – Wet Basement Solutions: Top to Bottom (Sponsorship TBD)
- May 18 – Pest Control: Unwanted House Guests (Sponsorship TBD)
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