IA: FATHER, DAUGHTER REUNITE AFTER DECADE APART
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DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A Des Moines man who lost touch with his daughter about a decade ago says the Evelyn K. Davis Center helped change his life and played a role in bringing them back together.
“I haven’t seen my daughter for 10 years. She was 13 the last time I seen her,” said Christopher Evans.
For years, the image Evans held onto was of his daughter, Kaitlynn, as a teenager.
“I had custody of her. Her mom had a heart attack,” said Evans. “She wanted to live with her mom, and at the time, and when this happened, they didn’t expect her mom to live.”
Evans said he threw himself into work, hoping to provide for his daughter.
“I was a trucker. I was a good ol’ boy. I believed in being out working,” said Evans.
Over time, distance and hardship took a toll.
“I wanted to work. I wanted to be a better father. I wanted to be a better man, and we just lost track,” said Evans. “Call it depression. Call it whatever that you want to. I lost my way.”
Eventually, Evans says he fell into harder times.
“I lost my home and everything; it wasn’t just because of COVID,” said Evans. “I’ve been on the street ever since, living in the woods actually and stuff like that.”
That changed when he connected with the Evelyn K. Davis Center in Des Moines.
“They opened the doors to me in 2019 when I was sent here to Des Moines, Iowa, to start a better life, to find work, etc.,” said Evans.
The center is widely known for helping people with education and employment, but staff says their mission goes beyond job placement.
“What we do here is above and beyond service,” said Eric Idehan, manager of the Evelyn K. Davis Center. “We’re not just providing programs to people. We’re trying to add value to people’s lives.”
Idehan told KCCI that the center offers a range of support services.
“We provide financial education,” said Idehan. “We provide digital literacy and all of that program and services.”
Robert Bibens, who runs the center’s Men on the Move clothing closet, said building personal relationships is part of that work.
“What I love about Christopher is that he wears his heart on his sleeve,” said Bibens.
Bibens said Evans’ story resonated with him as a father.
“I can’t imagine not having spent the amount of time away from my daughter that it’s been since Christopher has seen his daughter,” said Bibens.
Evans said while all of the skills and conversation he gained and had through the center are important, one he highlights involved computer literacy.
“Without these computer skills here at Evelyn K. Davis, I wouldn’t have the knowledge, the know-how or the ability,” said Evans.
Those skills helped lead to a life-changing moment this spring.
A photo of Evans and his daughter from a decade ago, displayed as his Facebook cover photo, helped Kaitlynn, now a young woman, find her dad and led her to message him in April.
“She says, ‘Dad, this is Kaitlynn. Your daughter.’ Wow!” said Evans.
At first, with Kaitlynn in Nebraska and Evans in Des Moines and a lack of a car and limited funding, the two were limited to phone calls and text messages. Evans said either way, the communication was still impactful and important to him.
“It’s just invigorating,” said Evans. “The most important thing to me: She still loves her dad.”
Earlier this month, the two reunited in person for the first time in 10 years. Evans said he was able to buy a bus ticket out to a town in Nebraska and walk the rest of the way to meet his daughter.
“She has her own place. She’s been through so much, and she did it without me,” said Evans. “Her mom passed a couple of years ago.”
KCCI spoke with Kaitlynn over the phone. She said, “I missed him for so long. The whole situation felt like a dream. I just wish I could see him more.”
Though they still live in different states, Evans said they are a family again — and he credits the Evelyn K. Davis Center for helping him get there.
“This is my family,” said Evans. “I didn’t have no other family in my life except for Evelyn K. Davis for six years until my daughter found me.”
Evans said with the help of people with the Evelyn K. Davis Center, a GoFundMe was set up to help him travel to meet her.
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