Johnson County Christmas Bureau finds new home in Olathe
The Johnson County Christmas Bureau’s holiday shop will be able to open its doors on schedule in Olathe this year.
The charitable organization’s annual push to give Johnson County residents in poverty items for the holidays had been in jeopardy over the last month when it could not find a location for the temporary shop.
“We were very close to being in a position of not being able to help 12,000 people this year,” said Larry Bigus, executive director of the bureau.
This year, the holiday shop will open at 135th Street and Brougham Drive in the space formerly occupied by Hy-Vee. The city of Olathe owns the space, which will eventually become the new location for the Indian Creek Library.
Bigus said about a third of the organization’s clients are from Olathe, and the shop has been in that part of the county on previous occasions.
The space is about 65,000 square feet, and the bureau will occupy 50,000 square feet for a few weeks. The shop is open this year from Dec. 2 to Dec. 10 by appointment only for bureau clients.
It has all the features the bureau wanted for its shop, from ample parking to HVAC and fire suppression systems.
“There’s plenty of room and plenty of space to get creative on how to set up,” said Bigus.
In recent years, the bureau has set up the shop at the Great Mall in Olathe and at Metcalf South in Overland Park, but both those locations were not viable this year.
To shop at the bureau, clients must go through a social service agency to fill out an application. Those who qualify will get further information and appointment details.
If you’re interested in making a donation, all items must be new, except for gently used coats, bicycles and books.
For more information on donating, visit www.jccb.org.
This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Johnson County Christmas Bureau finds new home in Olathe."