Pandemic boredom shared by two Pipersville sisters led to their creation of a service business that evolved into much more than a time-filler. Matteo Iadonisi, of 6abc, covered its launch, success, and the philanthropic impact it had on Safe Harbor of Chester County.

Stuck at home by 2020 pandemic-related summer-camp closure, sisters Grace and Rylee Decker, 12 and 15 years old respectively, brainstormed their own business.

They launched 2 Yard Ninjas.

The decorating service provides signs, banners, and other colorful displays to clients seeking to publicly mark events like birthdays and anniversaries on lawns.

The community embraced the fledgling entrepreneurs, promoting their work and sharing the reactions of happy customers.

As profits began rolling in, the sisters made a bold business move: They decided to donate all proceeds to local charities.

One of the recipients, Safe Harbor of Chester County, was a geographic departure for the donations, which all centered around Bucks County outreaches.

The Deckers’ mother, Erin Sternberg, explained how the connection came about.

“Riley, my oldest daughter, does her research,” she said. “Safe Harbor popped up in a search or on social media. And it turned out that an acquaintance of hers had a connection there through a parent. So, the decision to donate had a personal touch to it.”

Sternberg recognizes how unusual it is for children of her daughters’ ages be so community connected. But she’s grateful for their sense of empathy.

“They have that philanthropic gene,” she explained. “They recognized the issue of homelessness and were upset about it. And they did something about it. They took the bull by the horns and did it all.”

The Decker daughters are not new to the idea of community support. They’ve raised funds for the homeless before, as well as donated to fight food insecurity.

Sternberg is unsure at this young age, but she recognizes that their operation of their own nonprofit isn’t out of the realm of possibilities for her two young businesswomen.

More on 2 Yard Ninjas is at 6abc.