Employees from Kemner-Iott Agency of Cass County donated items for the Tri-County Head Start. In front from left are Ashley Cobb, Crystal Haefner, Tara Parsons, Amanda Knight, Amy Walker, Leah Cobb, Vicki Grote and Jennifer Torbet from Tri-Country Head Start; back row: Rich Mills, Charlie Retherford and Kim Parsons. (Leader photo/SCOTT NOVAK)

Each October, the employees of the Kemner-Iott Agency of Cass County decide to give back to the community.

This year, they decided to help out the Tri-County Head Start.

“Our office is an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) office and so for the month of October we celebrate it,” said Kim Parsons, who is the ESOP committee leader for Kemner-Iott in Cassopolis. “This year we chose a couple of different organizations and emailed the staff and they collectively decided to do the Tri-County Head Start.

“It was mainly because we have strong ties to it. We have employees who have children and grandchildren who go there. We just thought it was great to choose something that was close to our hearts.”

Employees brought in an item a week. One week they were asked to bring in gloves and mittens. The next week was hats and then scarfs and then socks.

“People came in abundance and brought snow pants and jackets,” Parsons said. “They went above and beyond as they always do.”

Vicki Grote of Tri-County Head Start was excited to receive such a wide variety of items.

“We are so grateful to have these items for our kids,” she said. “We have families that are asking for hats and coats for the winter time as we are preparing for the cold weather. We do need extra items for the classroom so we can provide them for those at school as well.”