Volunteers Distribute 2K Toys to Local Families

Mission: Agape helps nearly 400 MASD children

By Jason Togyer
The Tube City Almanac
December 20, 2024
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

Pam Irizarry of Irwin gives last-minute instructions Thursday morning to helpers before parents of needy children begin “shopping” at Mission: Agape in McKeesport. (Tube City Almanac photo)

Volunteers from Mission: Agape this week distributed 2,000 toys and gifts for almost 400 children in the Mon-Yough area.

At a makeshift toy store set up inside the former Wesley United Methodist Church on Prescott Street, volunteers guided parents and guardians through a series of shopping stations grouped by ages ranging from birth to 18 year olds. “Shoppers” entered in groups of 10 at a time.

No children were permitted so that all gifts will remain a surprise until unwrapped, said Lori Smith-Sakalousky of Latrobe, who was helping organize this week’s giveaways along with Pam Irizarry of Irwin.

Volunteers pray on Thursday morning before the day’s first shoppers entered the former Wesley United Methodist Church. (Tube City Almanac photo)

Many of the toys and gifts were collected in donation bins placed at 17 businesses in the city and White Oak, while others were supplied by the national Toys for Tots organization, said Kelly Doyle, co-founder of Mission: Agape, also known as McKeesport Agape Center.

All of the families registered for this week’s holiday distribution were previous clients of the Agape Center’s food bank and other programs for people on low incomes.

“We asked them to start signing up in October,” Smith-Sakalousky said. “Most of the people who have been coming are also clients of the food bank.”

Parents and guardians filled out sheets with their children’s names, ages and possible interests.

Over the past week, volunteers — including a group of eighth-graders from Mary of Nazareth Catholic School in White Oak — unpacked, sorted and arranged items for “shoppers” on Wednesday and Thursday. A youth group from Bridge City Church in White Oak also helped.

“The eighth-graders were fantastic,” said Smith-Sakalousky. “It was a real example of faith in action.”

Organizer Lori Smith-Sakalousky talks with a volunteer at Mission: Agape (McKeesport Agape Center). (Tube City Almanac photo)

The Toys for Tots program generally cuts off above eighth-grade, she said, but Mission: Agape serves older kids up to age 18 as well. Age-appropriate toys for older kids were provided by donors, Smith-Sakalousky said.

This is the fourth year that Mission: Agape has provided a toy and gift giveaway for needy families. Although the center serves residents of North Versailles Twp., Glassport, Port Vue, West Mifflin, Duquesne and other surrounding areas, the toy giveaway has been resource-constrained, Doyle said, and for that reason is confined only to residents of the McKeesport Area School District.

Doyle said that restriction has led to some awkward conversations she’d like not to have in the future.

“There are a lot of communities in the Mon Valley that are suffering,” she said. “We don’t want to have to restrict it by ZIP code next year. That’s been super-hard. These are our friends and we want to take care of them, but toys are expensive, so there is only so much we could do.”

In future years, Doyle said, Mission: Agape wants to expand the toy giveaway to neighboring school districts.

“Thanks to Lori and Pam, we have a team now that wants to work on this all year around, so we’re going to work on it,” she said. “We’ve got enough people in place now that we can push our physical boundaries outward.”

Shopping stations were organized with items by age groupings. (Tube City Almanc photo)

Originally published December 20, 2024.

In other news:
"City Residents Critic…" ||