KC nonprofit asking for help after driver crashes into building
OLATHE, Kan. — The local nonprofit PawsAbilities needs the community’s help this holiday season after someone drove into their building on Saturday morning.
“It was really unbelievable and truly tragic,” Courtney Gebauer, PawsAbilities Director of Community Engagement said.
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She says they got a call early Saturday morning that a driver had stepped on the gas instead of their break and drove straight through their learning center in Olathe.
No one was hurt, but the crash caused so much damage that the non-profit has temporarily stopped all production of hand-crafted dog products during its busiest time of the year.
“Walls, glass, tons of debris just all over, tables and chairs at the back of the room,” Gebauer said. “Everything’s caked in dust.”
The non-profit serves more than 100 students with special needs, teaching them how to make dog treats and other products, and teaches them skills to land jobs outside of the program.
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“Our students really are pretty upset about the whole situation,” PawsAbilities Executive Director Debbie Horn said. “I mean, this is their community…full of love, and friendships, and learning. There’s lots of learning going on here.”
They’re hoping to get students back to work sometime next week and are asking the community to continue buying their products, volunteer, and donate to their fundraiser for repairs in the meantime.
“We get them employed out in the community and it’s really crucial to have our learning center back up and going so that our students can continue to work on those skills and also provide products for the season,” Gebauer said.
Visit www.PawsKC.org to purchase products or donate to their fundraiser.
