Johnson County Christmas Bureau is looking for a new home

T he holiday spirit lingers no more at the Great Mall of the Great Plains.

On a rainy, chilly Saturday morning last weekend, dozens of volunteers hauled boxes and tables out of the Johnson County Christmas Bureau’s holiday shop and loaded them into trucks.

The holiday shop, which serves low-income families during the Christmas season, was located at the former Marshall’s space in the northeast corner of the Great Mall in Olathe.

The mall donated that space to the Christmas Bureau but because that the mall is closing, the shop was given until April 30 to clear out.

The shop had been held at the mall for the past five years, a record for the non-profit organization. Since its shop concept was established in 1977, the store had not been held in one location for even two years in a row beforehand, much less five.

“It was starting to feel like home for us and our clients,” said Janell Engelhardt, vice-president of volunteers for the JCCB. “Now we’re back to square one, looking for space.”

The shop requires 35,000 to 40,000 square feet of space, plus around 75 to 100 parking spaces at minimum. And the space needs to be rent-free.

“It’s nerve-wracking not knowing what’s going to happen,” said Julie Mills, a board member and volunteer. “But we’re not too apprehensive because it always manages to come together somehow.”

While temporary spots are usually found through word-of-mouth, the organization is still seeking a permanent location for both the shop and storage.

Last weekend, nearly 100 volunteers emptied its Great Mall shop, while UPS donated trucks and drivers to take the boxes and equipment to four different storage facilities in Lenexa.

“It’s bittersweet leaving the Great Mall because they’ve treated us so nicely,” Engelhardt said. “We’ve had lots of space, which is perfect for storage and making it easy for clients to shop. Also, one-third of our clients live in Olathe, so its been very convenient.”

Volunteers on Saturday included everyone from the St. Thomas Aquinas High School rugby team to the Leawood Rotary Club.

“I’ve been here 15 minutes and they’ve already cleared out that entire wall of boxes,” Mills said, in amazement. “Our volunteers are just awesome. They work really hard and their energy is boundless.”

The volunteers agreed the work was painless.

“It’s actually been pretty fun,” said Lee Davis, a St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore on the rugby team. “The time has been flying by, because we’re getting so much done.”

Gretchen Cummings, the lead manager for the rugby team, echoed his sentiments.

“It feels nice to give back, to be doing something meaningful right now,” the 18-year-old from Lenexa said. “Otherwise I would just be home this morning, sleeping in and not really doing much.”

Watching them dismantle chairs and tables as a team made their coach proud.

“It’s about camaraderie,” said Tim Kluempers, the rugby coach for St. Thomas Aquinas. “We have juniors working with the freshman, kids hanging out with other kids they normally wouldn’t hang out with. It’s important for the team to get to know each other on a social basis, outside the classroom and off the field.”

Plus, helping out in the community is an essential part of their athletic duties.

Every year, the team spends one weekend doing a community service project rather than play a game. And helping out with the Holiday Shop seemed a very worthy cause, he added.

“It makes these kids see their lives aren’t so tough,” Kuempers said. “There are so many people in Johnson County who need help. You wouldn’t realize it.”

This story was originally published April 27, 2015 at 8:18 AM with the headline "Johnson County Christmas Bureau is looking for a new home."