{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"S5:E21 - Innovative Community Childcare Ideas with Alexandra & Tyler Rupe","description":"Childcare is a huge challenge for many families, and this is of course true for small towns. When Alex and Tyler\u2019s daycare closed their small town of Ottertail, MN (pop. 500), Tyler half-jokingly said, \u201cWe should just start our own daycare.\u201d Well, that\u2019s pretty much what that did. Two days later, he had a plan and three years later, they\u2019re opening a nonprofit daycare to serve their community that could change how rural communities approach childcare. And we are so here for it! About Tyler & Alex: Tyler and Alex Rupe have been married for nearly a decade, bringing together roots from Grand Forks, North Dakota and the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. Shortly after their wedding, the couple relocated to Ottertail and quickly fell in love with the close-knit community. In 2020, Tyler purchased Battle Lake Refrigeration, Heating & Cooling, while Alex has built a career in marketing and event planning before recently becoming Executive Director of the Ottertail Community Center. Together with their two children and their beloved Labrador, Daisy, the Rupes have become integral members of the Ottertail community. They share a profound passion for community service and are dedicated to creating positive, lasting change that will benefit generations to come, working actively to strengthen the bonds that make their adopted hometown such a special place to live and raise a family.  In this episode, we cover: How a childcare crisis (and a joke!) sparked a community movement Why they chose the nonprofit route The \u201cpod model\u201d for childcare The role of collaboration and philanthropy Why a community center is next!  Links + Resources Mentioned: Website: https:\/\/www.ottertailcommunityproject.com\/ Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ottertailcommunityproject Sponsor Spotlight: Brodie Mueller and The Market on the Plaza In small towns, coffee is more than caffeine. It\u2019s community! Market on the Plaza roasts beans locally in Aberdeen, in small batches for the freshest, richest cup to start your day or for an afternoon pick-me-up. Stop in to grab a bag for home or linger over a cup with neighbors. Proudly local, always welcoming. This week\u2019s Small-Town Shout-Out is: Raymond, SD, population 789. Katie shares that last year, they hosted the first Raymond Redwing days, complete with a color run, vendors, live music, food, the works! It was such a hit that this year\u2019s event is already in the works. There is so much love and work involved in these kinds of events, so we know it\u2019s no small feat, but it\u2019s such an amazing way to build community and celebrate small towns. Snaps to Raymond! We Want to Hear From You! Some of the best parts about radio shows and podcasts are listener call-ins, so we\u2019ve decided to make those a part of the Growing Small Towns Podcast. We really, really want to hear from you! We\u2019re have two \u201cparticipation dance\u201d elements of the show: \u201cSmall town humblebrags\u201d: Call in and tell us about something amazing you did in your small town so we can celebrate with you. No win is too small\u2014we want to hear it all, and we will be excessively enthusiastic about whatever it is! You can call in for your friends, too, because giving shout-outs is one of our favorite things.  \u201cSolving Your Small-Town People Challenges\u201d: Have a tough issue in your community? We want to help. Call in and tell us about your problem, and we\u2019ll solve it on an episode of the podcast. Want to remain anonymous? Totally cool, we can be all secretive and stuff. We\u2019re suave like that.  If you\u2019ve got a humblebrag or a tricky people problem, call 701-203-3337 and leave a message with the deets. We really can\u2019t wait to hear from you!  Get In Touch Have an idea for a future episode\/guest, have feedback or a question, or just want to chat? Email us at hello@growingsmalltowns.org Subscribe + Review Thanks for tuning into this week\u2019s episode of The Growing Small Towns Show! If the information in our conversations and interviews has helped you in your small town, head out to Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver relevant, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more small-town trailblazers just like you!   ","author_name":"The Growing Small Towns Show","author_url":"https:\/\/growingsmalltowns.show","html":"