A late-night study spot for college students, a fun date activity, or a sweet treat for the family, Yotopia is vital to many in the Iowa City community. 

September marks Yotopia’s 13th birthday, and to celebrate, the frozen yogurt shop is holding various events, ranging from a Taylor Swift listening party to partnering with the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation. 

To kick off this month-long party, the local business is working with the University of Iowa’s Undergraduate Student Government to do a “Fill it Forward” event on Sept. 13. 

For Friday only, in honor of their 13th anniversary, customers can come into Yotopia with a tumbler and fill it to the top for $13. At the end of the day, Yotopia will make a donation to Shelter House, a homeless shelter in Iowa City, with the funds raised from the day. 

Veronica Tessler, founder and owner of Yotopia, had zero hesitation when USG’s Emily Cross approached her with the proposal. 

“We see the University of Iowa students as some of our greatest customers. Obviously, we’re here very close to the college campus, and we love working with different student groups as a part of the downtown Iowa City community,” Tessler said. 

Cross, the director of external relations for USG, holds this event near and dear to her heart. As a business management major and pursuing a certificate in entrepreneurship, Cross found Yotopia’s story as a woman-owned business inspiring. The cause the fundraiser is supporting is also something Cross said she believes strongly in.

“It is hard for me to see people on the streets downtown. It’s a pertinent issue, not just here but all over, and I think if we can give back just a little bit, one person at a time, that would be great,” Cross said. 

To support a local, woman-owned business and help those on the street, Cross and Tessler got to work. USG has been promoting the event by putting up flyers and Instagram posts, and Yotopia has been busy decorating for its anniversary.

“We have a window artist painting on the outside of Yotopia to advertise not only our 13th anniversary festivities but also all of our ‘Froyo for a Cause’ events,” Tessler said. “It’s a local woman artist based out of Cedar Falls, but she came down to draw on our windows. I’m really excited and giddy about her work.”

“Froyo for a Cause” is what Tessler and the Yotopia staff call their fundraising events. This is the first time the business is teaming up with Shelter House for one of these events, and Christine Hayes, director of development and communications at the shelter, said she is beyond grateful. 

“I’ve known Veronica for years, and she does great things in our community,”  Hayes said. “She’s generous and active and involved, so it’s really wonderful to have a chance to put the great popularity of her store and her product to use to serve people in crisis in our community.”

Shelter House provides emergency shelter, a drop-in center that gives out basic needs such as hygienic supplies, an eviction prevention team to help people stay in their housing, a rapid rehousing program, and a street outreach team. This team works with people on the street who are staying somewhere not meant for human habitation, such as on a park bench. 

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 “There is a misunderstanding that those people are service resistant and aren’t actually looking to resolve their homelessness,” Hayes said. “What is true far more often is that they don’t want to stay at a shelter, perhaps because they’re not comfortable in a congregate living environment or they’ve had negative experiences at something that resembles an institution, but often they are looking to resolve their homelessness through housing.”

Another service Shelter House provides is permanent supportive housing. This is housing for people who have exited chronic homelessness, bringing people inside without requirements such as employment or sobriety. 

Shelter House has just opened a new permanent supportive housing building located at 501 Southgate Ave. While the “Fill it Forward” event donations will be going towards paying off the commercial loans on the new building, it will not be the last fundraiser for Shelter House. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization received additional government funding, allowing them to start up new programs, including eviction prevention. But that funding is about to run out, Hayes said. 

“People were always at risk of homelessness, but the funding wasn’t there until the pandemic,” Hayes said. “[To be] available for people who have had those eviction notices filed and to help them [stay] securely and safely housed, we will be fundraising more and more until another funding source comes through to cover those things.”

Cross said this fundraiser is an opportunity for USG to help Iowa City residents give back to their community, especially those who are most in need.

“I think it’s just going to be a special thing where families can come in together where it’s just in the community — coincidentally it is family weekend, so it’s just something positive to look forward to at the end of the week,” Cross said.

While Yotopia has become a staple in downtown Iowa City, Tessler said this would not be possible without the community surrounding the store.

“We are really humbled to still be here 13 years in after a pandemic, a lot of competition, and just all of the other trials and tribulations that come with a startup business,” Tessler said. “That’s why every birthday is a milestone, but this one is particularly special, so just a big thank you to the community for the ongoing support.”