Christmas in October: Love Thy Neighbor

Christmas in October has returned to Kansas City, marking a special time for homeowners in the community. For more than 40 years, Christmas in October has partnered with local businesses in a volunteer effort to raise the standard of living for individuals who lack the practical and financial means to do so themselves. 

“The mission is improving the warmth and safety for our community members,” said Doug Welch, Executive Director for Christmas in October. 

Volunteers select homes to work on based on the skills of their team members. Teams can tackle specific tasks that are best suited for them and the homeowner. Common rehabilitation work involves installing handrails, grab bars and security lighting. Refreshing the home’s outside appearance with a new coat of paint while removing unwanted weeds and brush is also a frequent goal for groups. 

Christmas in October aims to rehabilitate homes of the elderly, disabled, and veterans. While warmth and safety are essentials for living, dignity represents another pillar in the rehabilitation process, such as upgrades to kitchens and baths. Christmas in October is committed to helping our neighbors in need. 

This year, volunteering companies worked on over 90 houses in the KC metro. Participating groups included among others: Andrews McMeel, Bayer Crop Science, Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell, Grace United Community, Honeywell, Labconco, Lamp Rynearson, Nativity, Rockhurst High School, KU Medical Center, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish, XEC the Kansas City National Security Campus, and Garmin, a first-year volunteer.

Between employees and family, Gar-min arrived with a group of 30 volunteers. The group was led by the house captain Brian Buchanan. Buchanan, no stranger to leading a team, is a software engineer lead at Garmin International. For him, volunteering only felt natural. He had previously volunteered for past jobs with the event and often brings his kids to show them the importance of giving back.

“This year was a first time for the Garmin team, so we wanted a house where we could produce the highest probability of success,” Buchanan said. 

Completed tasks included repainting walls, installing a wheelchair ramp, replacing rotted wood beams and repairing electrical systems. One volunteer in the group identified an HVAC part replacement for the homeowner and was able to correct the issue the same day. 

While Garmin’s team only rehabilitated one home this year, that home means the world to its owner, Janet Lane. 

“It was a wonderful experience. It was a great group of people that came out to help, and I enjoyed speaking with all of them,” Lane said.

She can no longer safely navigate steps on her own. She was searching for social service groups that would install a wheelchair ramp but found no luck. That is, until a friend informed her about Christmas in October. Lane submitted her application in April, and now she has a fully refurbished home. 

“Fixing this home would’ve cost me thousands of dollars. I was so fortunate I found them,” she said. “I’m grateful.”

Christmas in October works for the community, by the community. While the volunteers work to restore neighborhoods to their original standards, the City of Kansas City is also doing its part to ensure those standards of living are met. During this year’s event, members of Kansas City Public Works came out to dispose of trash in the area and provided 10 forty-yard dumpsters for debris disposal. Officers from the Kansas City Police Department also patrolled participating neighborhoods to ensure the safety of the homeowners and volunteers.

Through Christmas in October, over 2,000 volunteers go out into the community every year to help bring joy back into our communities. The keyword is community. While bringing these homes back to a quality standard of living is the mission, the driving force to come back every year is making our community of Kansas City the best it can be for all its people. Christmas in October may only come once a year, but its impact will be felt for years to come. If you believe this mission is a fitting one for Kansas City, Christmas in October might have just found its next volunteer.

To find out how you and your company can get involved, please visit www.christmasinoctober.org.