When you need help with toys, go to the experts.
Owen and Lucas Visscher, grandsons of Delta Hospice Society executive director Nancy Macey, are the newest volunteers at the Hospice Cottage Thrift Shop in Tsawwassen.
They join a team of over 180 men and women who devote countless hours to sort and shelve clothes, books, toys and other knickknacks.
Recently, the thrift shop received numerous high quality toys such as Lego, Playmobil, Brio and Thomas trains, often in large single donations.
Often toys come to the thrift store as they were played with: taken apart and mixed together with a variety of different toys. The boys help sort, identify and assemble pieces better than most adults.
Owen, 5, can often take one look and tell what type of toy it comes from and even which set it belongs to. He helps build Lego sets and assemble Transformers and Playmobil with their proper parts and accessories.
Lucas, 2, has become the expert toy tester. He makes sure the toys are unbroken and fun to play with.
The boys look forward to going to their grandma's house to do their volunteer work. The hardest part for them is seeing the toys go back to the thrift store to be sold.
They do understand, though, these toys somehow help carry on grandma's vision and passion. And thanks to our great community, they know the next box of toys to check and test is already waiting.
The Hospice Cottage Thrift Shop will be putting the toys out for sale on Saturday, Dec. 3.
Several Lego, MegaBloks, Barbie, Brio, Thomas the Tank Engine and Playmobil sets will be available for purchase in time for Christmas.
