OLATHE, Kan. (KCTV) – PawsAbilities in Olathe is rebuilding after a car crashed into the front of the building over the weekend leaving behind $50,000 worth of damages.
The damage is extensive as the car drove all the way into the building, leaving behind skid marks inside.
The call came Saturday that a vehicle crashed through the front door at 7 a.m. and Horn was shocked to hear that. She thought at first it may have been a minor accident but was surprised to see how large the scene was — the person’s car was completely inside the building.
“Every surface is covered with dust, we’ve got some broken things that we’re trying to sort out — what’s broken and what needs to be replaced,” said Horn.
Now it’s time to get to work with the help of volunteers.
Rebecca Shipley, who was volunteering Monday morning, said: “I hope it shows that PawsAbilities is just supported in all ways and that we can come together as a community and help one another especially this time of the year.”
Shipley operates a store and uses some of PawsAbilities products so her connection with them is prevalent. Her store is closed on Sunday and Monday, so she knew she had plenty of time to go over and help out.
The nonprofit makes dog products while also helping adults with developmental disabilities. The young adults handcraft dog treats, sew dog bandanas and upcycle t-shirts into pull toys. Students also work in our retail and mobile stores, learning customer service skills for future jobs.
“This is the time of the year where we sell most of our products and our production is down right now so we’re going to have to work extra hard to try to catch up,” said Horn.
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It’s a crucial time for business with the holidays, but it’s more crucial to open for the students who need this place.
“It’s a pillar of our community,” said Shipley. “It gives these kids and young adults purpose. It shows them how to live a full life. This is their social time, this is their purpose and it needs to be open immediately.”
Horn expects them to be back up and running 100% on Wednesday. In the meantime, volunteers are asked to assist in the clean up starting at 10 am to 5 pm Monday and Tuesday.
“This is where they find their friendships, this is where they get all their skills for employment. We actually take everybody to and from work, so everything we do is needed on a daily basis,” said Horn.
Tuesday’s volunteer work will center around hanging up Christmas decorations. Horn said they don’t want students troubled by what happened, but instead have them come back to the Christmas joy on Wednesday.
“We absolutely provide a vital service,” Inclusion Connection Director Debbie Horn said. “We are a community for over 100 individuals that we serve here this year in this program.”
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