Did you know you might be able to find that perfect holiday gift from Johnson County Government? On Episode #170 of JoCo on the Go, we talk with representatives from the Johnson County Park and Recreation Department (jcprd.com) and Johnson County Developmental Supports (jcds.org) about some great gift ideas. From a parks gift certificate that’s good for shelter rentals, recreation programs, permits and more to work from emerging artists at Johnson County Developmental Supports, we’ve got you covered this season.

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Time	Subject
00:38	Introduction
01:14	JCPRD gift cards
07:22	Arts and Heritage Center programs
12:02	50 Plus program offerings
16:17	Emerging Artists gifts
18:10	Papercrete Works gifts

Andy Hyland 0:00 

In addition to colder temperatures, the arrival of the holiday season for many also brings an annual ritual of seeking out that perfect holiday gift for friends and loved ones. In addition to local businesses and other retailers, did you know that you might just be able to track down that gift from Johnson County Government? We'll show you how on today's episode of JoCo on the Go.

Announcer 0:24 

Whether you live in or just love Johnson County, Kansas, JoCo on the Go has everything Johnson County. Here's what's happening and what's coming up in the community you call home.

Andy Hyland 0:38 

Welcome everybody to today's show. Hopefully it'll help a little bit with that holiday gift shopping. And I'm joined now by Kellen Jenkins, who's the Marketing and Communications Manager for the Johnson County Park and Recreation District, to talk a little bit about holiday offerings there. Welcome Kellen.

Kellen Jenkins 0:55 

Hi Andy. How you doing today?

Andy Hyland 0:57 

Great, great. And so thinking about this holiday season and what kind of gifts people might want to buy. I know one popular item you sell is Park and Recreation gift cards, so tell us a little bit about those and what they allow you to do.

Kellen Jenkins 1:14 

Absolutely. So JCPRD offers gift cards that anyone can purchase at a variety of locations across the county. They really are a great gift for so many people, because JCPRD offers so many different programs. You know, we, on average, every year, offer more than 4,000 programs. And so you can imagine, within all of those, there's probably something for everyone. So we always love to encourage people, if you're shopping around for unique gifts in the holiday season, check out our gift cards and then go check out the programs that we have coming up in the next year, because there's probably something there that anybody in your family or your friends are going to be interested in. So say, you've got a spouse who's getting into golf and is looking to improve their short game, we offer lessons from golf pros that you can purchase with a gift card. If you've got...one of your kids is, you know, a budding artist and they're really wanting to learn more about pottery. Sign them up for a ceramics class with us, and they can learn from an expert and have just a really great, unique experience that I'm sure they'll come away with, you know, new knowledge and a new interest in that art. So there are a variety of things, and that's just two examples of the programs that we offer, but a gift card is a fantastic way to get access to all of those things. Or something else you could do is, you know, say you're thinking about 2025 and you're trying to plan out date nights with you and your spouse. Hop on there and check out some of our date night selections. We have some great couples-specific classes, you know, whether that's pottery or painting or even just booking a nature walk with a local expert that will take you through some of our beautiful trails and kind of show you, you know, some of the wonderful flora and fauna that we have in this county, could be a great activity there, too. So I just think our gift card program is fantastic. I think it is one of the best ways to take advantage of all that JCPRD has to offer.

Andy Hyland 3:38 

So if you want a gift card, how do you get one? What's the best way?

Kellen Jenkins 3:41 

So we have a couple ways. You can go on to our website and find our gift cards right there online, and you can purchase them online. Or you can come to a few of our facilities and purchase one in person. You know, you could come out to Shawnee Mission Park. You could come out to Antioch Park, Ernie Miller, Nature Center, Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center, any of those facilities. They'll be able to help you purchase a gift card as well.

Andy Hyland 4:07 

That's great. And you mentioned some really great programs and things you can take advantage of. But I know that that, as you say, that gift card is a pretty powerful thing. It can, it can get you into some shelters and some shelter rentals, and really anything you offer, I think that gift card can help you get access to it. Is that right?

Kellen Jenkins 4:27 

Yeah, absolutely. So you mentioned shelter rentals. You know, we offer many different facility rentals throughout the entire year, and those gift cards can be applied to any of those. We also offer boat rentals. So if you're just looking for a fun afternoon to go get out on the water, maybe not this time of year because it's a little cold, but when our marinas open back up in late May, you know, we welcome you come out and get on our lakes. You can rent a boat with those gift cards and really get out there and spend a few hours on the water and enjoy the afternoon. So those gift cards do provide access and do provide, you know, an opportunity to experience things more than just our programs. But you know, like I said, you can do shelter rentals, you can do facility rentals. You can do boat rentals too. So there's a variety of ways that you can use gift cards with JCPRD.

Andy Hyland 5:25 

Sounds great. And I think people can log on to the website and check out all the offerings there and see if that's a good option for them. I know if you're looking for a more physical, a tangible thing, the Arts and Heritage Center, the museum gift shop is there, and what sort of things does that offer?

Kellen Jenkins 5:45 

Absolutely. So the museum store is located at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center. It's also where the Johnson County Museum is. The museum store has just a ton of great gifts. Many of them are locally produced. So we have local-produced candles, we have local-produced jams, honeys, you know, stickers, shirts, things like that. We also have our poster series available, and this is something new that we've started doing in the last two years, where each year we're releasing four posters for four different parks, done in the WPA style of posters. And so we have eight out there currently, and all of those can be purchased through the museum store as well, and you can get them in a variety of sizes. I have a couple up on my wall here in my office. I love them. I think they're just fantastic. But you can buy them from just like a 5x7 all the way up to a very large poster size. But I encourage anyone to go check those out, too. If you have anyone in your family who's, you know, got a favorite park in the county, someplace that they just love spending a lot of time at, I definitely encourage you to go and check out and see if we have a poster for that park already. And if not, let us know, because we may be able to add that into our list for next year.

Andy Hyland 7:13 

And since we're on the topic of the Arts and Heritage Center, what other programs and offerings do you find there? I know you've always got a lot going on.

Kellen Jenkins 7:22 

We have gallery space in there that we rotate throughout the year from local artists. We also have the Johnson County Museum. That's, of course, a fantastic museum that talks about the history of Johnson County and our place in that history. It also has our special exhibit space. Currently, it is Free to Be, which is a celebration of 1960s fashion. And next year, that will transition to a special exhibit that will last all year on water and its impact in Johnson County. We also have Kidscape at the museum. And Kidscape is a fantastic space. It's for young kids to come with their parents, grandparents, caretakers, and just have a good time. It's a fantastic little play area that kids can, you know, interact with one another. But there's a bunch of games. There's a bunch of we...just installed this really cool, I guess it's kind of a 1950s-esque car. It looks very similar to the one that we have, the real car that we have in the museum, but it's a very popular place for kids throughout the entire year. And I encourage anyone if they're looking for just something to do this winter season, forgetting about gifts for a second, that they're just looking to get out of the house, and they've got young kids, Kidscape is a fantastic option to just get out of the house and spend an afternoon together having some fun.

Andy Hyland 8:50 

So one other thing that people might want to be thinking about this holiday season if they're looking for something to do, I know you have the All-Electric House at the Johnson County Museum, has some holiday-themed decorations going on. Tell us a little bit about what that is and what's going on there.

Kellen Jenkins 9:06 

Absolutely. So the All-Electric House at the Johnson County Museum is truly a unique look at history. It's a house built house from the '50s. As the name would suggest, it's all electric, which is actually really interesting, because it has some really unique features inside of it that visitors, as they walk through, they can see on display and learn a little more about kind of this retro-futuristic look that we had in the '50s and what we thought homes would be. And, you know, they got it right on a lot of it. They got it wrong on some of it. But it is a really fascinating thing. I think it's probably my favorite piece of the whole museum. But during the holiday season, we open up the Home for the Holidays at the All-Electric House, and that's a unique display of aluminum Christmas trees. And so when you're thinking about kind of retro decor or that mid-century modern decor, a lot of people for the holiday season, that iconic aluminum Christmas tree pops into their mind, and we've got a display that we put up is 20 different trees. It's a fantastic collection ranging from what you would think is kind of that classic silver look to greens to blues, all the way to pink trees. So it's just another great way for people to go out, spend some time together, see something new right here in their backyard. If you're looking for something to do this holiday season, I would highly encourage anyone to just take a moment and go check it out. It's well worth their time.

Andy Hyland 10:38 

One other gift shop you might mention just briefly is at the Ernie Miller Nature Center. I know of that one. I grew up in Olathe. It's one of my favorite parks. I've known it for a good long while. But what kind of stuff can you find there? Some more sort of naturey-themed items, I think.

Kellen Jenkins 10:53 

Yeah that's exactly right. So the nature center gift shop really focuses in, well on that nature aspect. So we have a bunch of kind of, I don't want to use the term quirky, but maybe they're unique gifts that you might not find somewhere else. So one of the things that I think is actually kind of a fan favorite for a lot of visitors is the candied bugs that we have. So if you're looking for something, be a little adventurous or try something new, I encourage anyone to come out and check that out. But we also have other things, like books, magazines, jewelry, other nature toys. We also have, you know, minerals, that people can purchase too. So if you've got a rock collector in your family, you may want to go check out the nature center gift shop too.

Andy Hyland 11:40 

That's great. One other thing I wanted to mention briefly with you was the 50 Plus programs. I know that just so many different offerings for older adults, and I know sometimes a lot of people are shopping for somebody, a grandparent maybe this time of year. And what kind of offerings do you have for them?

Kellen Jenkins 12:02 

Our 50 Plus program is incredible, to be honest. It's a really, it's one of the jewels of JCPRD. We are able to engage with thousands of senior citizens throughout the county throughout the year in a variety of unique ways. And those programs span everything from the performing arts to card games, special events. We also have a number of really fantastic travel opportunities both regionally, locally and internationally, that can all be purchased through our 50 Plus program. But 50 Plus also is just a fantastic way for people to stay active and stay engaged. So if you have someone in your life that you're looking for a way to help them be more active in 2025. You know, everybody's looking, you know, every year we go into '25 or into the next year, and we've got that goal of, "Oh, this is the year I'm going to be a little healthier. I'm going to take care of myself a little bit." Well, 50 Plus programming really can help you reach those goals. And so if that's signing up for one of our pickleball tournaments or pickleball leagues, or if that's signing up for a variety of our classes that are focused on health issues that people over the age of 50 may be facing, and it's a great way to just learn about those issues and prepare yourself, get a better idea of, you know, what you need to be doing to take care of yourself at this time. But yeah, like I said, our 50 Plus program is just, it's huge. It's diverse. There's so many ways for people to get involved, and I really encourage people to check that out. And those gift cards can be applied into those 50 Plus programming as well.

Andy Hyland 13:47 

That's fantastic. Really great stuff. We really appreciate you sharing some of this with you, with us today. Anything else you want to mention or talk about, about JCPRD's many offerings.

Kellen Jenkins 14:00 

Sure. You know, I just encourage people to go check out our website for one, jcprd.com. There, you're going to find everything that we do, and it's a lot. So you can hop on there, you can check it out, and I'm sure you're going to find something that's of interest to you, whether that's an upcoming event or a program or, you know, just finding where a trail is near you that you can get out and hike this winter just to stay active. But I also encourage people to you know, if you've got that person in your life, that maybe they've got everything, so you can't really think of a gift for 'em, but you know that they're passionate about preserving our trails and green spaces in Johnson County, or they're passionate about public art in Johnson County, I would encourage you to consider making a donation to the Parks and Recreation Foundation of Johnson County in their name, and you can find more information about that on our website as well.

Andy Hyland 14:59 

Perfect. Thank you so much Kellen for joining us today. We really appreciate it.

Kellen Jenkins 15:03 

Yeah, absolutely thanks for having me, Andy. I would love to talk with you anytime about JCPRD.

Andy Hyland 15:09 

Also joining us is Courtney Fitzgerald, the community relations manager for Johnson County Developmental Supports, to talk a little bit about some holiday offerings there. Courtney, welcome.

Courtney Fitzgerald 15:19 

Hello. Thanks, Andy.

Andy Hyland 15:21 

So one of the things that I wanted to talk about first was just, what is Johnson County Developmental Supports? Could you remind us of the good work that you all do, day in and day out?

Courtney Fitzgerald 15:32 

Of course. Johnson County Developmental Supports is an agency of Johnson County Government, and we support adults in Johnson County that happen to have intellectual or developmental disabilities. So we provide various services, including case management, residential services, where we help people live in their homes independently. And then we also provide employment services and day support services. So a whole plethora of things that you may need if you have an intellectual or developmental disability to live independently in our community.

Andy Hyland 16:11 

Very good. And as is our theme here today, you do have a little bit of holiday offerings for people who may be shopping around, right?

Courtney Fitzgerald 16:17 

We do. One of our programs I mentioned that we have employment services is we have two programs that have things that people can buy that will also in return support those programs and the people that utilize those programs to learn different employment skills. So one of those is our Emerging Artists program. It is housed out of the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center. There is a studio space there that supports 17 different artists, and it's an art as an employment program. So those artists that work out of that studio create amazing artwork that is available for purchase on our website, jcds.org, or in person during business hours during the week, you can pop in and check out the studio and what's available to purchase. So they have cards that are available for any type of occasion. They have blank ones that you can just use as thank you cards for your friends. They also have original paintings from marker drawings, sketches, oil paintings, acrylic paintings, you name it. They've got it in all different sizes and all different topics, because each of the artists have their own style.

Andy Hyland 17:31 

I absolutely love seeing that stuff out in the wild. There's several of my colleagues have some of the art, and they display it in their workplace. And I see it around. It's really great stuff. And you mentioned the studio that people can pop by. Where is that?

Courtney Fitzgerald 17:46 

The studio is in the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center. It's kind of back around the corner by the dance studio. So if you're looking for that space, head back by the classrooms and the dance studio and the Emerging Artist studios there. They're there Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to about 3 p.m.

Andy Hyland 18:02 

Fantastic stuff. I really encourage people to check it out. And also wanted to talk about Papercrete. That's another program that you all have. Tell us about that.

Courtney Fitzgerald 18:10 

So Papercrete is another employment skills-building program that we have here at JCDS. It helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to learn employment skills like following a process, following a recipe, working in an environment with other folks. And they make some amazing products out of this papercrete and concrete mixture. And they have anything from coasters to flower pots to they had giant jack-o'-lanterns made out of concrete. They make gnomes for your gardens, stepping stones, all kinds of different things that you can use in your home decor.

Andy Hyland 18:49 

That's great. That's great. And again, really, really great stuff that I've seen too. I know you and I toured the facility there, and you were showing off some of that stuff to me. And it's great stuff. I think there's some web options too. Is that right? So people can visit web and see some of the offerings. Where is that?

Courtney Fitzgerald 19:08 

Of course, you can find both of those programs. If you go to jcds.org, you'll see right there on the front page that you can click on Emerging Artists, or you can also click on the Papercrete Works program. So all those you can buy online.

Andy Hyland 19:22 

That's great. That's great. Anything else you want to say about it or the offerings, or anything about the programs at all?

Courtney Fitzgerald 19:30 

The most fun part, Andy, is if you see something that you like or a style that you like from one of the artists, they can also do commissioned work. So if you are going into Emerging Artists, and you see some paintings by an artist that you like, but you think maybe they really awesome to have a commissioned portrait of your pet, for example, you can commission a portrait of your pet through whatever artist style you really enjoy. They do commission work for various office buildings around town. You may have seen some at the Johnson County MED-ACT building. And then same thing with Papercrete. If you see a product that they make and you want it in a particular color scheme, maybe your favorite football team or your baseball team, they can commission that work and paint it accordingly as well.

Andy Hyland 20:18 

That's just great. That's great. I have two cats that may be waiting for some art to be made for them.

Courtney Fitzgerald 0:27 

I would love to see that painting.

Andy Hyland 20:31 

Thank you, Courtney. We appreciate you taking some time to share. Is there anything else you'd like to say?

Courtney Fitzgerald 20:36 

No, thanks for having us.

Andy Hyland 20:38 

Thanks to you, Courtney, and thanks to Kellen as well. We appreciate both of you taking the time to highlight a few of the ways you can grab a gift from Johnson County this year. If you're looking to learn more about the various offerings we talked about today, check out the links in the description of the podcast, or go to jcds.org or jcprd.com for more information.

Announcer 21:02 

You just heard JoCo on the Go. Join us next time for more everything Johnson County. Have a topic you want to discuss? We want to hear from you. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at jocogov. For more on this podcast, visit jocogov.org/podcast. Thanks for listening.