Christmas Spirit Alive in April

Posted on April 18, 2011, 3:01 pm, by Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and received No Comments ».

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – In a true embodiment of Service Before Self, approximately 20 Joint Base Andrews members joined forces with Christmas in April, a local volunteer organization, to help a family in need.

Christmas in April is a non-denominational volunteer organization that repairs the homes of senior citizens who are either low-income and/or physically challenged so they may live in warmth, safety, and independence. After months of planning and preparation, Christmas in April culminates in a one-day repair effort on the last Saturday of April.

Christmas in April 1In early April, Christmas in April and their team of volunteers rallied to help a local family, the Callahans.  Tragedy struck the Callahans January 23.

David Callahan, 21, and his brother Daniel, 19, Mrs. Callahan’s sons, had car trouble on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway and the car stalled in one of the lanes. An SUV struck their vehicle from behind at highway speed, killing David and leaving Daniel paralyzed from the arms down.

The death and injury of her sons weren’t the only stressors taking their toll on Mrs. Callahan, who, according to many who know her, exudes almost superhuman strength in the face of this tragedy. Officials at the hospital where Daniel was being taken care of said he wasn’t able to remain in their care.

The Callahan home was nowhere near ready for a person in a wheelchair. The gap between hospital bills and insurance coverage was enormous. Even with the help of family, friends and members of her church, Mrs. Callahan wouldn’t be able to prepare their home for Daniel’s homecoming.

A friend from church recommended she call Christmas in April.

“I called and I got Mary,” Mrs. Callahan said with a smile of relief, amid the sounds of saws and hammers busy at work outside her home. “I left her a message. Before she even called me back, she had already started calling around to different people, organizing and things.”

Mary Kucharski, event coordinator for Christmas in April, said the whole office came to a halt when they heard Mrs. Callahan’s voice message over the phone.

“In the 20 years I have been doing this job, I have never heard of a more heart-wrenching story,” Mrs. Kucharski said. “We immediately went to work, determined to help this family in need.”

She set about organizing a work day to build a wheelchair ramp that lead from the driveway to the front door of the Callahan home, April 2. 11 CES structures personnel, Navy JAG personnel, and other caring members of JBA arrived at the Callahan Home at 8 a.m. that Saturday with pickup trucks full of tools, eager hands and warm smiles.

Read the full story on Joint Base Andrew’s website.

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Why We Give Back

Posted on September 7, 2010, 11:31 am, by Karen Gentles and received No Comments ».

We got involved with bringing Christmas trees to military families in the early ‘90s. Now, as we approach our six year anniversary of our Trees for Troops program, we’re more enthusiastic than ever! And more so because we’re in the running for a $250,000 grant to give an additional 5,000 military families Christmas trees this season.  Voting takes place throughout the month of September.

The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation is committed to keeping the spirit of Christmas alive and growing memories for the next generation of children and families.  And Trees for Troops is one of the ways we get to do that. It’s giving back in a simple, tangible way to show our deep gratitude for our troops and their families who give of themselves 365 days a year. It’s supporting a community of people who uniquely serve our nation and letting them know they are never forgotten.

Of course, the family stories helps us to know that we’re giving the Spirit of Christmas to others ….

My husband and I just got married this summer; he is active duty Air Force and we are stationed in the cold north here at Ellsworth Air Force Base [SD]. This morning after he got home from working the midnight shift, we were able to drive across base and pick up a beautiful tree for FREE. I can’t believe it! What a wonderful gift. Our dog and cat have been exploring the tree all morning, and I’m adding lights and ornaments. It has been a busy and sometimes stressful year, and this gift of a Christmas tree just makes me smile all over…it is just what we needed.”

“I just wanted to express my thanks for the beautiful Christmas tree we received at Camp Lejeune today. Having a live tree will make this Christmas all the more special, particularly since it’s the first one we get to spend with my husband in three years. Thank you for your generosity and God bless you!”

The Christmas Spirit Foundation is dedicated to giving back … and O the Joy!

Follow us: http://twitter.com/Trees4Troops

Please VOTE in our PepsiRefresh Campaign to bring more military families Christmas trees: www.refresheverything.com/treesfortroops

Cast Your Vote for Trees for Troops to Bring an Additional 5,000 Military Families Christmas Trees

Posted on September 1, 2010, 4:58 pm, by Karen Gentles and received No Comments ».

Together we can! 
We’ve watched military families across U.S. bases enjoy choosing their perfect Christmas tree because of the generosity of our tree farmers and many personal and corporate donations. Now, during September, we have this great opportunity to receive a $250,000 PepsiRefresh grant that will help Trees for Troops bring an additional 5,000 military families Christmas trees. Many organizations compete for votes, with the top two projects receiving a Pepsi grant. Together, we can each vote daily, online or text message, to make a difference in the lives of military families who sacrifice so much.

HOW TO VOTE:

  1. Go to http://www.refresheverything.com/treesfortroops and create an account with your name, email address and birthday. This will allow you to quickly login each day to vote.  
  2. Vote from your mobile phone. Text* 102662 to Pepsi (73774) *standard text message rates apply

 It takes less than 1 minute to vote. Make a pledge to VOTE EVERY DAY online and via text message during the month of September. You can vote once per day the entire month!

Sign up to receive a **daily text message during the month of September reminding you to support Trees for Troops in the PepsiRefresh project. Text TROOPS to 69302 to receive text updates.

Here’s how one mom shared her Christmas memory with us:

 ”We loved our tree this year! We took part in the Trees for Troops at Fort Gordon, and I believe it’s easily one of the prettiest trees we’ve ever had. Thank you for thinking of us and all the troops around the world. It means so much to know that people appreciate the sacrifices military members and their families make each and every day. A great big thank you hug … you made our Christmas very special this year!”

Thank you for your vote and supporting the families of our troops …… Together We Can!

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/trees4troops

Trees for Troops Competes During September for $250,000 PepsiRefresh Grant

Posted on August 30, 2010, 2:56 pm, by Karen Gentles and received No Comments ».

Get ready to vote, readers! During the month of September, Trees for Troops is competing for a $250,000 PepsiRefresh grant that will help us deliver an additional 5,000 trees to military families this Christmas.

Since 2005, Trees for Troops has helped make nearly 67,000 Christmas memories for military families by delivering real Christmas trees to those who have a loved one deployed. Last year alone, Trees for Troops provided over 16,000 military families across military bases in the U.S. with a fresh tree. You’ve got to watch Lily’s Story to see what the gift of a Christmas tree meant to her family. We’ll be sharing more  photos on this page as we  continue to tell the story of how lives are impacted by each pine-scented Christmas tree.

We are indebted to the members of the National Christmas Tree Association for donating many trees and to FedEx, our corporate partner, for delivering the trees to nearly 50 bases in the U.S. Thanks also to our countless friends who contribute by purchasing a Trees for Troops Christmas ornament or T-shirts or providing direct donations.

We’re counting on you to vote! It’s going to take all of us, pulling together to vote each day, to win the PepsiRefresh $250,000 grant. Watch for the link on September 1, 2010. We’ll provide instructions about how you can vote every day, online or by text message. Remember to follow us on Twitter!

Thanks for caring about the families of our troops!

This post was submitted by Karen Gentles.

Other Blogs about Trees for Troops

Posted on December 29, 2009, 12:32 pm, by Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and received No Comments ».

While searching for articles about Trees for Troops, we ran across a couple of blogs from families who received a tree through Trees for Troops.  Check them out!http://theadventureofathena.blogspot.com/2009/12/oh-christmas-tree-oh-christmas-tree.html 

http://gabeharts.blogspot.com/2009/12/merry-christmas.html

Trees for Troops Brings Christmas Spirit to Families at Fort Leonard Wood

Posted on December 10, 2009, 11:34 am, by Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and received No Comments ».

On December 9, only hours after Trees for Troops and FedEx delivered Real Christmas trees to military families at Fort Leonard Wood, the base received a wonderful comment through their online comment card program:

“Today they did the Trees for Troops program again. I just wanted to say thanks so much.  The staff was very nice and helpful.  I was there alone with my 2 young children and they helped me carry and load up my tree.  If it were not for this program we would not have been able to have a tree this year due to some financial difficulties.  This was very upsetting to my 5 year old who was terrified that if we did not get a tree Santa would not come.  So thanks so much for your time and efforts with this program.  You made this a much better holiday season for my family.”

This is only one of many notes the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and Trees for Troops staff will receive this year.  It’s amazing to see how much this program continues to affect the lives of military families around the country.

For more information about Trees for Troops, go to www.treesfortroops.org

Trees Sales Support the Homeless in VT

Posted on December 9, 2009, 2:23 pm, by Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and received No Comments ».
Burlington, Vermont – December 9, 2009

Hundreds of Christmas trees will help ensure homeless people have a place to stay this winter.

Wednesday morning, 300 locally-grown Christmas trees were unloaded and set up in the City Market parking lot in Burlington. The grocery store will sell the trees for $30 apiece. The proceeds go to COTS.

“The amount of hunger and homeless has really risen in Vermont,” said Clem Nilan of City Market, “especially with the recession we are in and have seen in the last year. It has spiked a lot. We have families coming to the food shelf that have never been at the food shelf. We have people who don’t have places to stay.”

Another 300 trees are expected to arrive in the coming days and City Market says they always sell out. City Market has held this fundraiser for the past 11 years, raising $44,000 for COTS.

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Reposted from http://bit.ly/6IIddr

Fort Gordon Braves the Rain to Distribute 575 Christmas Trees!

Posted on December 3, 2009, 1:06 pm, by Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and received No Comments ».

Despite the nasty, rainy weather at Fort Gordon yesterday, approximately 575 families received a Christmas Tree through the Trees for Troops program.  The line began forming around 6:30 a.m. and by 11:30 a.m. all of the trees had been handed out!

All of the 575  trees came from farms in Georgia, which is years past, has not always been the case.  Kudos to all of the Georgia growers and retailers for their generous donations and great organization with coordinating pick-ups!

While at Fort Gordon I spoke with Teri, one of the coordinators of the program, who’s husband is currently deployed in Iraq.  Last year he was stationed in Korea (without the family) and was able to surprise Teri and her daughters with a visit.  Although this will not be possible this year, fortunately, they are able to talk on the phone and Web cam every day!

Nicole and her husband (see first photo below) just recently bought a house and were anxious to put up their first Real Christmas Tree together.  They walked around the peremiter of the FedEx trucks two or three times where the trees were stacked searching for the perfect one.  They finally found it as  you’ll see below.

Vanessa, the primary overseer of the program at Fort Gordon was so thrilled to see that trees had gone to good homes so quickly!  She had been at a meeting earlier that morning with the Garrison Commander.  While at the meeting she was telling a young soldier about the trees.  He quickly called his wife in hopes of going to get a tree.  He and his wife arrived just in time around 11:15 to pick out the second to the last tree (see photo below).  Vanessa was so excited that he was able to get one! 

After all of the trees were gone we were able to get this awesome photo of all of the younger soldiers who helped unload.  They celebratered as the last tree was handed out, which meant they could get out of the rain.  I asked them if they were able to go home for Christmas and they all said yes!

Christmas trees sold to benefit ALS research

Posted on November 23, 2009, 6:14 pm, by Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and received No Comments ».

Two December days a year, activity at the Douglass family farm in Fairhaven could be compared to Santa’s workshop or perhaps a scene from Dr. Seuss.

Big trees, little trees, green trees and blue, strapped on cars and trucks of all shapes and sizes, steadily make their way up Sconticut Neck Road, while their treeless counterparts stream down the same road.

The rate of trees leaving the property is so fast it has been calculated at approximately one every minute and a half, according to Dick Douglass, family patriarch and official tree planter.

With one road in and one road out, at least the tree farm is easy to find.

“Friends have told us we know we’re on the right road, because we see nothing but trees coming up,” Douglass said.

The two-day event, which brings family, friends and much of the community together for a good cause, is now in its eighth year and will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Dec. 5-6.

The sale includes balsam fir, white spruce and some Austrian pine, as well as the return of potted emerald green arborvitaes. Trees are $40 each, and the arborvitae, each about 2-4 feet tall, are $20 each or three for $50. On Saturday, folks can visit with Santa, who will make an appearance.

Douglass and his wife, Vivian, sell the Christmas trees to benefit ALS research, a fatal neurodegenerative affliction commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. To date, the family has raised more than $130,000 for the search for a cure.

Douglass said he started the farm as a hobby, always expecting to use the income to donate to charities. “We had no idea what the charity would be; we were thinking scholarships or the Millicent Library, things like that,” he said.

But when his son was diagnosed with ALS, the family went looking for the best way to help. They chose ALS Therapy Development Institute, a research-based organization dedicated to developing treatments for ALS patients who are alive today.

Douglass said he plants about 1,000 trees a year to try to keep up with sales that have been running at more than 300 trees almost every year. The plantings will gradually decrease, he said, as he runs out of land to plant on.

Volunteers at the event will help families get the trees onto vehicles, although the Douglass’ recommend bringing a friend with a truck or at least cleaning out the car trunk.

And, while there’s plenty of people available to help cut your tree, those interested in picking up new tree-sawing skills, will find only encouragement.

“We’re more than happy to give tutorials,” Douglass said. “And you don’t even have to bring your own saw; we’ll loan one to you.”

View the article by Beth Perdue on Southcoasttoday.com: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091123/NEWS/911230331/-1/NEWSMAP

Trees for Troops in full swing, many ways to support our efforts

Posted on November 19, 2009, 5:25 pm, by admin and received 1 Comment ».

With the holiday season here, the Trees for Troops program is in full swing and lots of things are happening.

1) Thought you would like to see a good description of the program that appeared on the Advertising Age website.  http://adage.com/goodworks/post?article_id=140604

2) The 2009 Trees for Troops weekend will be December 4-6.  A list of participating locations is available here…

http://www.christmasspiritfoundation.org/programs/trees4troops/2009-trees-for-troops-location-list.pdf

3) The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation is hosting TweetUps for our troops.  Visit tweetup4troops.org for more details.

4) There are many ways you can support the Foundation, please visit the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation home page for information.  Aside from straight donations, you can order ornaments, apparel and a holiday music CD.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

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