Olathe nonprofit asks for donations after car drove through wall and damaged building

An Olathe nonprofit that provides job training for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities is asking for donations after a vehicle crashed through its facility over the weekend.

Debbie Horn, executive director of Inclusion Connections, said police called her around 7:30 a.m. Saturday reporting a car that ran through the PawsAbilities building at 2073 E. Santa Fe St. Trainees in Inclusion Connections’ programs run the Olathe PawsAbilities store and mobile pop-up, which sell dog treats, toys and accessories.

No one was in the building at the time of the crash, and no one was injured, Horn said.

The Olathe Police Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for information on the case.

Horn said she learned a woman was trying to park and take a class at a neighboring business, when she mistakenly hit her gas pedal.

Her car rammed through the wall and stopped in the PawsAbilities’ Learning Center, where classes are held.

The crash left about a 25 foot hole in the nonprofit’s exterior wall, Horn said. Desks, computers, tables, cabinets and other parts of the interior were also damaged. PawsAbilities’ storefront was not damaged in the crash.

Once staffers have cleaned the facility, Horn hopes PawsAbilities can reopen Wednesday to sell treats and continue holding courses, training and job coaching in a different part of the building.

“This is our really busy time of year because this is when we make and sell a lot of our products, and that revenue helps to sustain the business throughout the year,” Horn said. “It’s a little inconvenient time for us, but we’ll make the best of it.”

Community members can help Inclusion Connections by donating at pawskc.org/donate or purchasing dog treats and other items at their website.