‘They have time to give back’: ‘Hut’ is a big draw for John Knox Village residents

On a gray March weekday morning, a small group gathers around a table for conversation and coffee at the John Knox Village Hobby Hut. It’s a space for volunteers to come together and create everything from handcrafted wooden toys to custom decor for the Village’s annual fundraiser.

The Hobby Hut — an approximately 3,780-square-foot, well-equipped woodworking shop — is located behind the Village Care Center in western Lee’s Summit. The volunteer-run facility serves a dual purpose — offering a way for the Village residents to share their talents while providing a service for the approximately 1,450-person retirement community.

“It started in the late ‘70s as a way for our residents to continue doing what they love,” said Emily Banyas, Village Foundation engagement manager. “There’s a lot of specialized machinery and equipment, and as you downsize, you don’t really have room or the ability to bring it with you. So this is just an opportunity to continue doing what they love. And boy, howdy, are they talented.”

Residents of the Village, as well as employees, are welcome to bring in items for repair, with donations accepted for the Hobby Hut operation. The volunteers work on projects for individuals such as cutting down a king-size headboard to queen size, fixing chair legs or repairing a lamp.

“They take food and money,” said Kelli Snell, the Village’s director of life enrichment. “Today it was cookies I saw for fixing somebody’s piano.”

Approximately 30 Village residents volunteer at the Hobby Hut.

David Young, who has volunteered for around six years, said putting things together is among the tasks the volunteers will do for others.

“A lot of residents move in and they’ll buy a piece of equipment or something that comes in a box and they’re not able to assemble it,” Young said. “So we do a lot of assembly like computer desks and bookcases, fireplaces and beds, and all different kinds of things. Trying to read some of the instructions is kind of interesting.”

One annual project is especially rewarding for the volunteers. The Hobby Hut crew creates around 280 handmade wooden toys — such as doll furniture and toy cars — to donate to the Lee’s Summit Social Services Christmas Store each year. Other Village volunteers paint the completed toys with the retirement community’s sewing group crafting bed sheets, comforters and little pillows for the wooden doll cradles.

Village resident Larry Nichols said he was a woodworking rookie when he first visited the Hobby Hut in 2016, hoping to build a bookshelf for his home. He now spends almost every morning at the woodworking shop and especially enjoys being a part of the Hobby Hut’s more than 20-year partnership with Social Services.

“I do toys now,” Nichols said. “That’s all I do. When Social Services comes and picks up the year’s supply, I get a big joy out of that and think about what the children are going to have. And these aren’t throw-aways. These toys last forever.”

The Hobby Hut workers also appreciate their time with fellow volunteers, including the conversations during the all-important morning coffee break.

“We work well together and that’s part of the fun of the Hobby Hut,” Nichols said. “It’s not just doing something as a craft or completing a project, but you have a camaraderie and get along together.”

Young, who usually spends around 20 to 25 hours each week at the Hobby Hut, agrees.

“I just enjoy working here,” he said. “The people who are here are friendly and it’s kind of like a small community. You’ve got people from all over the campus here. During coffee, we find out what’s going on.”

Bob Boyd, one longtime volunteer with a significant role in the Hobby Hut’s operations, has volunteered and helped with the shop management since 2001, working around 40 hours each week for many of those years. Now in his 90s, Boyd has cut back on his volunteering but still makes regular trips to the Hobby Hut.

Remarkably, the high-quality wooden toys and other items created in the Hobby Hut are made mainly from donated scrap wood from Jebb Brush Company of Lee’s Summit.

“They (Jebb Brush) call about every two months and say ‘I’ve got a load of wood for you.’ That’s what a lot of those toys are made of,” Young said. “About everything we make here is out of scrap. Since I’ve been here we’ve only bought wood one time. We also try to get leftover building materials from John Knox when they are doing their projects.”

The Hobby Hut is stocked with almost every woodworking tool imaginable, all well-maintained by the volunteers.

“It’s a pretty high-tech facility,” Snell said. “It’s not your garage. I feel like they’re making a bigger contribution because they’ve got the right tools. The Village really invested in this: It’s important to us, and they give back by doing lots of stuff for the Village.”

The woodworking shop is one of many volunteer opportunities at John Knox Village, which has around 300 people donating their time throughout the retirement community, she added. Other volunteer opportunities include involvement in a prayer shawl ministry, gardening, participating in music groups and assisting in offices.

“Older adults want to contribute to something bigger than themselves,” Snell said. “They’ve got all these skills and they don’t want to stop because they are retired. Now they have time to give back and they want to leave the world a better place.”