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[PCM+) Whimsy Kids: Creative Fun
The following article appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine, which includes hyperlocal stories about Ponca City. Get full access to all online articles, videos, and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.
Whimsy Kids is just the latest in the creative business endeavors of the Opportunity Center, and it is an engaging one if you are even slightly interested in items for children. If you haven’t been to the store, you need to go!
The Opportunity Center is a local entity that has grown and changed over time to serve its mission in our community. The organization was founded in 1960 and housed in the old Washington School, the one that was recently Edwin Fair. When it was outgrowing that location, the Mertz family donated property at the Union location where it would be for about 50 years. The main building opened in 1970 and would grow into a planned “Village” that would allow clients to flourish. Julie Grigsba, Executive Director at Opportunity Center, said they planned “houses, stores, places to work and attend school.” She went on, “In 1983 a group home and screen print shop was built.”
Later, however, the State adopted a philosophy that “all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities should be integrated into the community as much as possible.” They continued with the screen print shop and a chocolate shop for several years, but eventually moved some shops downtown, which gives their clients even more exposure to the community.
Currently, Village Screen Print and Whimsy are downtown next door to one another in the 300 block of Grand Avenue. Both have excellent locations for shopping, great customer service and unique products for yourself or for gifts. At one time the Center had Whimsy Too located in the local hospital that sold clothes for babies and children, among other items. Unfortunately, that store had to close during the pandemic and just didn’t have the same customer flow afterward; however, when considering a new business venture for their clientele, children’s products seemed the perfect fit.
With the ribbon cutting this past May, Whimsy Kids, just two doors down from the other stores at 324 E. Grand Ave., is a delightful boutique with adorable clothes, toys and other items that make shopping fun and gift-giving unique. Grigsba and Director of Business, Cortney Burns search for products that are high quality, affordable, as well as unique. As with the first Whimsy location, they hope to have items not found at other locations in the area. Burns has been with the program for 7 1/2 years and now runs all three downtown businesses. What she hopes people realize is when “they shop at Whimsy Kids or any of our stores, they aren’t just making a purchase. They are single-handedly helping to empower our clients, people with different abilities, giving them opportunities to live and work where they can thrive.” She goes on to say the patrons of these stores are helping build dreams.
Grigsba explains that Opportunity Center clientele with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) experience job training at their stores as stepping stones to train for community placement in the future. It is positive for the community to see their clients and recognize them as people with similarities to themselves through any differences. Burns mentions that she finds great value in that with her own children getting to learn inclusion and compassion as they grow up in an environment that includes the clients.
Profits from Whimsy Kids and the other Opportunity Center businesses “go directly to help with the overall mission of the Opportunity Center,” Grigsba explains, “which includes group homes, adult day care and support groups.” She continues, “We love being downtown. We hope to help in growing our downtown community.”
So, come out and see all that Whimsy Kids has to offer, and look at the value this store and the others are truly bringing to the Ponca City area. As Burns says, “I have always loved seeing clients fulfilling their dream to have meaningful employment. They have a sense of self-worth and purpose.” Somehow, you just can’t beat all that and a great shopping spree for babies and kids!
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