By Dave Bellomo

Though most area children dream of reindeer and Santa Claus, not every family can afford to bring that kind of good cheer. That’s where the Wallace sisters come in. Lilly, 8, and Alice, 6, are the children of Lynnette and her husband, Josh, who is the chaplain at Lewisburg Penitentiary. Several years ago, the girls decided that they wanted to give needy children the kind of Christmas that every child deserves, including things that they need and also things that they wanted.

Dave: How did Two Sisters Toy Drive begin?

Josh: The idea started with Lilly when she was around 5. We were in the borough of Watsontown and saw a lady carrying toys for her kids. Lilly asked if we could do something for kids who wouldn’t be getting toys, and I said, “Sure,” but it was too late to do anything that year (2020). I honestly didn’t think anything would come of it, but she was insistent that we do something the following year.

So, in 2021, we teamed up with the Watsontown Business Association, and that’s how it started. There were still COVID restrictions at that time, so we had to be creative. When Watsontown had its Caravan of Lights, we collected toys on the parade route. Now, boxes are placed throughout the region, and we also collect money to buy toys.

Dave: Lilly, what made you want to get involved with putting together a toy drive?

Lilly: Whenever Daddy said some kids might not get good Christmas presents, I felt in my heart I wanted to do something. I love doing it. My favorite part is packing boxes with toys, especially for eight-year-old girls like me. I get their wish list and pick out their toys. We include wrapping paper and tape in the boxes so the parents can wrap the presents to give to their kids.

Dave: Alice, what is your favorite part of helping with the toy drive?

Alice: It’s fun to pack boxes. I like picking out toys and making other kids smile. I like giving other kids Barbies and baby dolls.

Dave: Josh, what are some of the more requested toys this year?

Josh: For boys, Legos, Minecraft stuff, and Roblox are the popular items. For girls, we get asked for a lot of Barbies, play make-up kits, and Squishmallows. We also like to include board games, puzzles, and books to help bring families together so they can spend some quality time with each other.

This has been a labor of love for our family. It’s funny, these days, Lynnette and I feel more like public relations agents than parents for Alice and Lilly. They’ve been local celebrities with their toy drive and have been interviewed by many newspapers and radio stations.

Dave: I encourage and challenge everyone reading this to open their hearts and wallets and give to this worthy cause. Josh, you mentioned that donations are down this year. I have faith that my readers are going to step up to help. Where should they send donations?

Josh: Our drop-off locations are Matt Frye State Farm in Milton, The Watson Inn, Watsontown Baptist Church, Delaware Run Wesleyan Church, and TK Tackle, all of Watsontown.

For monetary donations, checks can be mailed to Pastor Josh Wallace, 501 Main St, Watsontown, PA 17777, and written out to DRW Outreach with Toy Drive in the memo line.

We also have a PayPal account, which is @twosisterstoydrive. For more information, the best way to contact us is through our Facebook page, Two Sisters Toy Drive. We are very responsive to messages there.

Our final collection date is December 10 for toys, but monetary donations are accepted through the 17th. At that point, we will be shopping for wish list items for kids. Last year, we helped over 150 children.

We partner with the Chief Carl Reed Christmas Fund, which directly helps kids in the Warrior Run School district, and the Two Sisters step in when families from outside the district seek our help.

God Bless, and thanks for the support! ~Josh, Lynnete, Lilly, and Alice