Holidays Bring Cheer to Many through the Johnson County Christmas Bureau!

We’re pretty excited when it comes to the holidays and this year is no exception! The Monday after Thanksgiving found the office lit up like KC’s Country Club Plaza…well, maybe not quite like that, but sparkling nonetheless. Staffers decorated their various venues, and Harland Russell went all out with his own personal tree-lighting ceremony on the morning of December 6.

Thanks to our very generous GBA elves, gifts began to appear under Christmas trees in the lobbies as well. This year our gifts were earmarked for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau (JCCB), a non-profit, non-denominational agency created to provide the county’s low income families with everything from groceries and personal care items to clothes, books, and gifts for all ages. We delivered our gifts today!

While Johnson County has a reputation for affluence, the level of poverty has risen in these economic times and with it the number of families seeking assistance. The JCCB helps meet their needs with a Holiday Shop that serves more than 3,200 families, (more than 11,000 individuals) each year. Many are working families trying to make ends meet; more than 82 percent are women and children. And more than 600 nursing home residents are also served by the program. This year’s Holiday Shop is open through December 10, so if you act quickly you may still have time to donate!

If not now, however, then consider getting involved next year - you’ll feel the excitement too!

Happy holidays and best wishes for peace and prosperity in the New Year from all of us at GBA!