BLOOMSBURG, Pa. — A Williamsport nonprofit that helps foster children is expanding to Columbia County next month.
Neatly organized clothing fills bins, and toys for every age group are in the next room. This is Dwell Orphan Care's new Hope Chest in Bloomsburg.
"We have an opportunity to step into this space in Columbia, Montour Counties and just expand that reach. The opportunity arose, and resources are being provided, and we felt like why would we not?" said Jennifer Lake, Dwell's executive director.
Lake founded Dwell Orphan Care in Williamsport in 2019 to support and encourage foster families in central Pennsylvania. To date, the nonprofit has helped nearly 500 children.
Recently the owner of Busy Little Beavers day care near Danville heard about Dwell's expansion and decided to help. The owner built a "Dwell well" and sent messages to all the day care's families.
"I thought, this is what we're doing this year. We are going to give back to these kids who don't have much," Susie Hill said.
Susie and Chris Hill of Danville have experienced the worst kind of loss. Five years ago, on August 30, their daughter Presley was stillborn.
"In the months that followed, we made it our mission to spread joy and kindness in her honor."
Each year on Presley's birthday, the couple picks an organization to help, and their family and friends rally behind them. Their son attends this day care, so the Hills created an Amazon wish list for Dwell Orphan Care.
"Since we posted the wish list, we've had packages every day. It's going on two weeks, and every day, more and more packages arrive," Chris Hill said.
All the items will go to foster children in our area.
"They typically come with nothing but the clothes that they're wearing, so we typically provide about two weeks' worth of clothing in a new duffel bag with their name on it, comfort items, bedding, hygiene items, brand new shoes," Lake said.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline.