As I close out my first six weeks in my role as Marshalltown’s Park and Recreation Director, I am overwhelmed. The kindness, excitement, hope and sense of belonging I have felt here has far surpassed any new community I have joined throughout my career. At times, I catch myself still not believing how lucky I am to be here–right now–in this electric reimagining of what Marshalltown can be.

July is National Park and Recreation Month, when the community impact we spur through ingenuity, hard work, and dedication to our purpose is celebrated throughout the country. This year’s theme is Build Together, Play Together. In this era of revitalization in Marshalltown, I don’t believe there are many communities who encompass this spirit in the way that we do.

I feel so blessed to be able to jump right in to all the rebuilding we’ve been accomplishing as a City — emphasis on City because there is no way the Parks and Recreation Department could accomplish any of this alone; I have to give a huge kudos to each and every staff person and ally who has piled more on their plates to help our City reach its goals. This has been a team effort for the ages.

From Riverview Park improvements to urban tree canopy recovery and Linn Creek District expansion to trail connectivity, the fervent momentum in even just the early stages of what I’ve heard coined as our “rebirth period” has been amazing to witness.

None of these projects matter without the people who benefit from them, though. The end goal of everything we do in Parks and Recreation is to make your life better. Nothing accomplishes that faster than a great day of play: learning to swim at the Aquatic Center, an adventure on the playground, spending the day with your friends at Summer Blast and Camp Marshalltown, or finally landing that trick at the skate park. A wonderful life is built one day at a time–that is what we’re here to give to you.

Through the hardships this community has experienced, we somehow always find a way to rise up. Even though I have only been here a short time, the evidence is everywhere. Painted on the sides of buildings, in the sense of pride from Marshalltown-Lifers, in the way we help each other every day. I love that this seems to be accepted here: what makes us different is what brings us together. Marshalltown is more than ever right now, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us.

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Kelsie Stafford is the city of Marshalltown’s Parks and Recreation Director.