Family Reunited Through Community Support
Iowa Man Reunites with Daughter After Decade Apart, Thanks to Community Resource Center
Anonymous
An Iowa man separated from his daughter for ten years has found her again — and a community resource center gets much of the credit. Christopher Evans, a Des Moines resident who once experienced homelessness, reunited with his daughter Kaitlynn in 2026 after she spotted an old photo of the two of them on his Facebook page, according to WBTV.
Kaitlynn was just 13 years old when she and her father lost contact. Now 23, she sent him a simple message: "Dad, this is Kaitlynn. Your daughter." Evans called it everything. "This is my family," he said. "I didn't have no other family in my life."
How a Computer Class Led to a Decade-Lost Daughter
Evans first walked into the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families in 2019. He had just arrived in Des Moines with little to his name. The center, located at 1171 7th Street, taught him computer skills and helped him find work, according to KCTV5. Those same skills put him on social media — where his daughter would eventually find him.
Evans kept an old photo of himself and Kaitlynn as his Facebook profile picture. She was searching for him online when she recognized it. A decade of silence ended with one message. "I missed him for so long," Kaitlynn said. "The whole situation felt like a dream."
The Center That Does More Than Find People Jobs
The Evelyn K. Davis Center is not a typical job placement office. It runs digital literacy classes, financial coaching, and a program called the Men on the Move Career Closet — which gives men suits and business clothes to wear to job interviews, according to WIBW. In 2025, more than 14,000 people walked through its doors.
Manager Dr. Eric Idehen says the goal goes deeper than employment. "What we do here is above and beyond service," he said. "We're not just providing programs to people. We're trying to add value to people's lives." The center served 4,000 first-time visitors in 2025 alone.
Father and Daughter Rebuild Across State Lines
After weeks of phone calls, Evans made the drive from Des Moines, Iowa, to Nebraska to see Kaitlynn in person. It was the first time they had been face to face in ten years, according to KPLCTV. Despite living in different states, the two are rebuilding their bond.
Evans says the center opened a door he thought was closed. "I wanted to work. I wanted to be a better father. I wanted to be a better man," he said. Kaitlynn put it simply: "I just wish I could see him more."
A Reunion That Reflects a Bigger Community Need
The EKD Center sits in a Des Moines ZIP code with a poverty rate of around 25%. It was founded in 2013 as a partnership between Des Moines Area Community College, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, and United Way of Central Iowa, according to WLBT. On June 30, 2026, Lutheran Services in Iowa took over operations to expand its reach.
Evans' story shows that teaching someone to use a computer can do more than help them get a job. It can help them get their family back. The center contributed 374 volunteer hours and ran 56 community events in 2025. For Evans, one Facebook photo made all of that worth it.
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