Visiting Kristie's Day Care in Belmond

“Every day care and day care provider serves a vital purpose in our communities,” said Ali Kraber, a representative of the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation. “Without the understanding and flexibility of our providers and day care centers, we wouldn’t have the businesses, agriculture and farming we do in every part of Iowa.”

We kicked off the eighth day of Little Farmer Toy Box deliveries with a stop at Kristie’s in home day care in Belmond. Kristie was nominated by several employees of Iowa Select Farms, and it was just so clear how much she means to those in the community.

“Thirty years later, Kristie has the same love and passion she did when she first started taking care of kids in Belmond,” said Tom, an employee of Iowa Select Farms. “Kristie starts her day at 5:30 AM since most of our employees need to be on farm by 6:00 AM and generally her day ends around 5:00 PM. The days may be long, but she never complains, and always has a smile on her face no matter how long the day may have been. Kristie was one of the few in the community who kept her day care open during the pandemic shutdowns because essential employees like myself needed her. We know she appreciates our thank yous, but we hope she knows just how much we appreciate her.”

We wanted to share more of the impact Kristie has had on the community of Belmond from those who nominated her for a Little Farmer Toy Box:

“Kristie is everything to us,” said Bill, an employee of Iowa Select Farms. “She dedicates her life to caring for kids so our rural community can thrive. I couldn’t imagine where we would be without her.”

“Without day care, our town wouldn’t be here,” said Eddie, an employee of Iowa Select Farms. “We hear a lot about communities that don’t have day care and those towns really struggle. Our town is blessed with a person like Kristie, who opens her home and her heart so our rural community can exist."

#HenrysHeroes2022 #LittleFarmerToyBox

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