What started out as a thought to be only a onetime event, Stem and Cells toy giveaway has turned into an annual event with 2023 being its fourth year running.

Lucy Leines started the event in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. With so many people unable to work and so much uncertainty on what to expect, Lucy saw what was going on in Wagner and the surrounding communities. During that time, it was a struggle for families to pay for just basic needs, let alone Christmas gifts. Lucy saw a need and looked for a way to help others in the community. She started in her own home knowing that her own kids had plenty of gently used toys some that were like new that could be given away. Lucy then asked her friends for gently used toy donations. Once all the toys were gathered, Lucy set up a shopping area in her store for families to come and shop for free gifts for their children.

Not only was this a great way to help families in the community, but also a good life lesson for children. Asking children to go through their toys and donate or “share” their toys with another child. It was a good way for children to get involved and give back to the community as well.

Lucy shared the idea on her personal Facebook so that friends and family that wanted to give back could with either new or gently used toy donations. The first year of the toy giveaway, Lucy was just hoping to be able to help one or two families, but was instead blown away with the community’s response to her idea. The first year of the toy giveaway, Lucy was able to help around 120 children receive at least one gift for Christmas. It was an amazing experience to be able to help so many families that it has been an annual part of December for Stems and Cells ever since.

Each year the toy giveaway is held on a different date in December depending on Lucy’s personal and business schedule in order to get things organized for the event. Lucy usually posts on her personal social media at the beginning of December and collects donations for a week or two before setting up the shop. All the toys are 100% donated by local community members. The event is open to anyone, not only from Wagner to come and shop for their children with no personal information ever asked for besides the number of children shopping for. Lucy does have a couple of guidelines for those who wish to shop the toy giveaway. She asks that a person only shop for the children in their household and that each child gets one gift, in order to help as many children as possible have a wonderful Christmas.

The toy giveaway accepts donations for all ages of children from babies through teenagers. One area that the toy giveaway could always use more assistance is with gifts for older children and teenagers.

For Lucy, Christmas has always been a magical time. She loves everything about Christmas and this time of year. It is a time to celebrate and reflect on the real reason for the season which is peace, hope and the love that was brought about by Jesus’s birth. Wagner is a very special community where people care about each other and will always help when asked. To receive a gift can bring such joy and happiness, but there is an even greater joy and happiness that can be felt from the act of giving. “I want to thank everyone for helping with an idea and how much a simple act of giving has blessed so many families in our community,” says Lucy. For her, that is the true meaning of Christmas.