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Every morning, Iowans clock in gravy. Ready to work. Plenty are in it for more than just *** paycheck. I can hear them some love the craft. The challenge is awesome for me. Others teach lessons. You have *** nice day. You can't learn in *** book. I was like, well, that is amazing. There are passions helping kids who don't want to be here. Oo *** film and work trips leading to life saving detours within *** second help. Everywhere. It's not *** career. It's *** calling. So grab *** table or make one the old fashioned way. This is Iowa KCC. I presents *** celebration of the people who make our state special. This is Iowa. Most of us spend about *** third of our lives at work and those 40 hour weeks sure add up, especially if you don't love your job. But for *** lot of Iowans, their job is not just *** profession. It's *** calling to inform, entertain or an Oskaloosa. Teach *** special group of teenagers who weren't learning from *** textbook when the clock strikes noon in the town square, Iowans head for soup and *** sandwich. If you want chips or *** salad that's extra. But in Oskaloosa Spirit Cafe. How's your day? The joy at the register is complimentary. Here's that cookie for you. Thank you. Enjoy that. Bobby Druliner is not just an employee. The cookies are my favorite. She's the cheerleader. My favorite food is the double BLT ready to offer her suggestions. The potatoes are my favorite from the filled with bowls of happiness and dancing greens. They're my favorite all made in the kitchen by Bobby's sister, Billy Joe. But these twins, you have *** nice day are just two on *** staff that didn't come here for the food at first, neither do the customers. I think everyone was very enamored by the mission laid out by Oskaloosa special needs teacher who is so passionate about her students. She convinced the school to demo an old downtown restaurant. I mean kids ripped carpet out to rip walls down to help paint, got the arts, kids to add some color and set up *** business model with the accounting students to open spirit cafe so her kids could learn, we talk to people what they weren't getting from *** book. Well, I learned about money, how money works. Life lessons. We were talking about being punctual and on time. But really they were just coming for school and having transition from class to class. But when Spirit Cafe opened in May, everyone was shocked their menu was actually impressive. I think I've had the BLT sandwich 10 times because it's so good and the service was even better gravy. These kids are our kids' friends. They go to school with our Children. Right. And so I wanted to see it and experience it and support them in what they're doing every day. They're learning. Put it on top of the cooler. Two adults supervise, focus on food safety and follow the students lead. I'll put the chips on there. Is that what you asked me and compassionate customers? Who understand the mission? What else, sir? Have their backs. Sometimes people help me with money if I get something wrong and then I count the money back to them. So I know the right change to get back in the front window. Students with challenges, too profound to work in public market, their T shirts and woodworking businesses while in the kitchen, 150 orders can come in over lunch. But nailing *** perfect bowl of potato soup, green onion is not the goal here. It's, it's not, it's not the cooking, it's not, it's not the completion of the restaurant skills. It's everything else like the transformation that's unfolded at that register. You see on opening day, the teachers took *** gamble, putting Bobby at the register when she first started, she hardly would look up at you when she was taking your order. I don't think she would say *** word. The quiet twin was the first face. Customers would see that first week. Something amazing happened. Your water and said, where is over there? Bobby found confidence total is $8.55. Now she, you know, she's making full conversations and it's just the growth in her is so, it's so sweet and amazing. Now, when you order *** cookie from Bobby, she even slides in an extra helping of sweetness. I love writing notes, personalizing each post it to make sure you enjoy your cookie. After I watched Katie get her note. I was like, well, that is amazing. *** delivery so powerful. Yeah. Her teacher is now the one speechless. Yeah, it's been amazing. Sorry. Give me *** sec. Yeah, it really is. It makes *** difference in these kids' life, which is great. She knows me by name, which is probably because I like the cookies so much. I'm here *** lot but I mean, she recognized not only recognizes me but wants to make *** conversation. Bobby, her twin sister and the rest of the crew will not work here forever. They'll graduate me to other jobs around town because they know they can contribute. But ask the loyal customers who made these booths, some of the most popular in town. Thank you. They'll tell you they've been getting *** lesson too. Everyone's life has value. That's right. That's right. All of us because most businesses open their doors to make money. Your total is $21.90 in Oskaloosa. The Spirit Cafe. Just hopes to break even while already proving they are making *** difference. They have come so far. But it's not just teachers opening *** cafe. Ian Jefferson made this weird combination of *** working uh furniture shop and *** museum because his craft is also *** passion. Sometimes it's *** chance encounter at work. That was kind of *** crazy meeting surrounded by chaos. But first we're headed to the hospital. Oh my God, I can hear them. I think your belly likes the chips for compassion and color are making everything better. This is Iowa. We found one. Ok. Do you see more hidden in the hallways of blank children's hospital? Then back it there is another one. Princesses perched just high enough for tiny hands to grab the scavenger hunt helps this Disney loving three year old get through long days. We come every week for chemo back in February, Maddie Sivert s parents noticed her stomach pain was not going away. Cancer is the last word any mom or dad wants to hear acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Three words that change their three year old daughter's life, right? When she sees the the needle, it's, you know, we have to hold her down. Um And that's very traumatizing for everybody involved. Maddie's treatment will last 2.5 years and then we move to maintenance and it's like once *** month. Um Chemo is taking her hair but not her curiosity interrupting mom and dad like *** typical toddler. Maddie is ready to be on the move. So she pulls on her pink slippers that all remember and pedals doing laps around the fourth floor, smiling at doctors and nurses. Maddie always makes it back to the finish line or what it still man. We love the little man. Don't pull it down. Olaf, the snowman showed up on her door as *** surprise one day. Her smile was so big and she's like mom, dad, it's Olaf. And then every time we left our room and came back to our room, she loved to look at it. And now his big toothy grin has been greeting Maddie ever since she loves frozen. She loves Elsa and Anna just down the hall from Olaf. Mario is smashing his way through chemo. It was like the first day here we came back to the room and there was that sign another surprise. This time for Max Evans, the punch punch it, punch leukemia. Max had leukemia as *** baby. And now at age 15, he's fighting it again. There's always that fear in the back of your head. If treatment quits working, living in the hospital is tough on *** teen. His body gets worn down more and he's getting sicker with each round. So it's hard. But playing Mario Kart helps pass the time. The last time we stayed up *** little too late on accident. Playing nurse Ally Stutzman is always up for the challenge. Max who win my T Yeah, it's always Max right away. Ali noticed Max's love for Mario. She had spent her off time drawing this huge Mario poster that's in the window waving at him too. So she goes above and beyond. Ali never considered herself to be an artist. I feel like *** lot of people probably don't know they can draw like *** 3 ft Mario until they specifically are asked to, but I definitely did not. But now she's *** pro, I would say probably 2 to 4 hours each poster, she gets to know each child on the fourth floor characters or TV shows or sports out there are really interested in her favorite things and then spends her breaks creating colorful messages of hope. Sometimes I'll do it just *** little bit. I might stay after *** shift just to finish up one if I was really close so that they get to wake up to it from Barbie to Darth Vader. Each door poster tells *** story. We have one who every time he gets admitted, he goes, where's my bluey? Like as soon as he gets up here of *** child behind it, fighting the battle of their life even though it is not fun for them to come to the hospital. But they're excited for maybe *** little, something like *** little piece just seeing his bluey or singing Mario is really exciting for them to have something to look forward to Ally's creations go beyond posters. She spent hours making him *** birthday card on her time off that everybody signed. Max loves her because he can be laying in bed miserable. And Ally walks in the room and he'll smile for Ally. Those smiles are just as big down the hall. Oh my gosh, I can hear him. I think your belly likes the chips. We Olaf the snowman loops. Just the poster itself just made her this room feel like not just four walls. It just made her feel more comfortable and ***, *** safe space for her to play *** safe space made possible by *** simple stroke of color. And I feel like I've found something that makes me equally probably even happier than it makes the kids and *** nurse who cares deeply. We're best buddies, right? Bud. When we say BFF for life about being *** master of her craft, seeing the reactions of the kids and how much they enjoy it. And honestly, it's probably one of my favorite parts of the job that was Laura Terrell. *** couple of counties away. Wood chips are flying. Power tools would pump out more furniture and pay more bills. But why does he insist on this? This is Iowa. The crisp scent of Fall fills the air in Jefferson. But inside this main street shop, sawdust here at RVP 1875. *** time traveler left behind by the past, it'd be *** cool place to visit. I'd love to spend *** week or two. I've got questions and an artist who talks with his hands doing it and talking about it and telling the history of it. And just as much as he works with them, Robbie Peterson started his career as the furniture maker at Living History Farm before opening his own shop in Story City later moving it to his hometown. We came up and looked at this building which had been empty for years and I was just like, wait *** minute, this is everything I'd ever need. And if I'm gonna give tours into *** town. Yeah, this town raised and educated me, maybe I can give back much of the furniture. From 1875 was designed with *** dual purpose and Peterson's shop doubles as *** history lesson. We've made this weird combination of *** working uh furniture shop and *** museum since he moved to Jefferson. Peterson has hosted hundreds of tours in his world leading historical furniture shop, but it just took one more step of research to figure out what happened to 10,000 chimney cupboards. 70 pieces *** year may not seem like *** lot stronger than fancy. But when second place is only turning out 15 RVP is the clear front runner. Every strip of wood shaved off by one of these 700 planes in his collection. So any high points, every tool historically accurate to the period. Here we are almost 1500 pieces of furniture. Later. Some folks might take one look at Robbie Peterson and call him *** pioneer I was born with, with *** love of labor and *** challenge is, is awesome for me. But he'd tell you, he's just *** student trying to preserve his craft mastering. And I'm never gonna know if that's true or not unless I devote my entire life to it all day, every day for, until my body can't do it anymore. It may not be the easy way. You gotta want it. You gotta look at that pile and go. Yes. Here I go. I'm going, you know, and I'm gonna get it, but it's the way this old soul prefers. It, challenges are ever present when you're creating masterpieces like these without glues and screws. So when that chunk of wood goes in there, it creates *** lock, that wide piece can't get out the narrow hole. Now, creating *** lock. Something's got to give as good as that is. Uh, it still has *** weak direction. That's the problem. That's why Peterson practices triple joinery. The process of continually hammering each dovetail until the leaves fall into place. The worst thing that could happen next year is if this felt easy and, and I did half as many orders and made twice as much money that, that, that would not be what would drive me. That was Bo Bowman. Next, we're headed back to Greenfield where May's tornado ripped apart lives. Next thing I know it's like my house just blew up, but it might have been even worse if *** work trip wouldn't have landed him right here. This is Iowa. They say *** stranger is just *** friend you haven't met yet. And sometimes those friendships form quickly by being in the right place at the right time. Like being here in Greenfield on May 21st. Next thing I know it's like my house just blew up. Larry Van Der Plum remembers the exact moment he was caught in an ef four tornado's path. I'm lifting myself up, looking around, hard to see those tree branches and stuff. Larry says he was thrown *** block away from his home. He woke up to find utter destruction, 18 stitches in the head. They said it was *** brain bleed, six broken ribs, one in two places and my right femur bone. The next thing he remembers. These two gentlemen come along and loaded me up the pick up. They were complete strangers glad they were there. Very appreciative. He said, I ain't lucky. I'm blessed to be alive. He's blessed to be in *** new home in Greenfield now, ready to welcome some special guests. Nice to meet you and I can see you again. Strangers turned heroes. That was kind of *** crazy meeting. Andrew Sandstrom and Bubba Sorensen didn't know each other that day. We were so lucky that you had your truck. But the Minnesota construction worker and Greenfield muralist share the same story. Within seconds it was help everywhere of helping *** man. Neither of them knew. I actually didn't know his name and now they get to meet the missing piece of the puzzle. Hello? Hi. Hi, Larry, I'm Andrew. Nice to meet you, sir. Good to see you. Good to see you guys. The two men saw Larry at his worst. The image of you with basically *** hole in your head will stay with me probably forever. I was like, oh man, we're gonna lose this guy and none of us are ETS they quickly loaded Larry up into the back of Andrew's pickup truck using *** plastic table. Andrew took this photo of the moment. We had *** lady. I don't know if it was the nurse or who gave us *** purse that we could put under Larry's head. It was *** bumpy ride to get to the lumber yard, which was the medical triage center at the time. Grab Larry's hand. I put my fingers in his belt loop to just like hold him on the truck. I knew we with Larry bleeding out and I knew we had to just keep moving. Larry was then taken away by an ambulance and that was the last time Andrew and Bubba saw him. I kind of said like *** silent little prayer like please God, let that guy be ok. My family, we knew nothing about Larry's name we prayed for him, hoped for him. Those prayers were answered. Larry can now thank Andrew and Bubba in person for saving his life. I don't know. I'm just speechless about it. You know, blessed that they were there because the contractor who works all over the Midwest wasn't even supposed to be there that day. I was in Michigan and then my boss said head to Creston, Iowa and Creston was all booked up on hotels. So I went to Greenfield then ultimately, Andrew's truck is what, what saved Larry's life. Three months later. No, it's completely different. The three men are returning to the same spot where it all happened. Larry, you were right down here, right on the corner. Things look *** lot different now, Larry's home is gone kind of where you see them tall weeds down there. That's where my little houses and new homes are being built. Now, you got houses going up everywhere and it's *** wonderful sign. Andrew Bubba and Larry are no longer strangers but friends. Hey, brothers in arms here and they're in Greenfield. Not by chance, but by choice. Andrew and Bubba each drove several hours for the reunion. Well, gentlemen, it was nice meeting. You think we can get *** picture of. Are you ready? 321. It was great meeting you again. I'll give you my number being in the right place at the right time. May have been *** coincidence on May 21st. It's amazing how everything worked out and everybody come together. But somehow all of the pieces of the puzzle fell right into place. I feel blessed with the opportunity to help somebody. I think the highlight was just how fast the community responded to help each other. Almost as if everything was just meant to be Andrew and myself and Larry's story, it's not unique really. It's the same story that was happening over and over and over just throughout the little town of Greenfield and everyone was meant to be there, pulling tornado victims to safety was not in Andrew's job description, just like most woodworkers don't preserve history. Most nurses don't create custom art and most teachers don't open restaurants. But for so many Iowans, *** job is not just *** job, it's *** calling. I'm Eric Hansen. This is Iowa.