Central Point, Ore.- The holidays can be expensive for many. But one group of people in the Rogue Valley are hoping their efforts can make things a little easier for those in need by giving away Christmas trees. The group paid for the permits for 90 trees; cutting them down themselves on Saturday and gave them away on Sunday.
“Christmas is something that’s expensive and very hard for people,” James Williams says.
Williams worked with A handful of other people from across the valley to orchestrate the big giveaway.
This year is the groups second year giving away trees on the Big Daddy’s BBQ lot in Central Point. Last year the idea sparked when they realized they could pay for a couple dozen tree permits and go cut them down themselves to give away. This year, that simple idea grew to become something more.
“I know a lot of people that are without trees simply because they don’t have a way to get ’em” Debra Shannon says as she has two Christmas trees packed into her tiny Ford. Debra got the trees along with a few coats and some Christmas decor to help her neighbors who can’t afford a tree of their own.
“Expend the money to buy them off the lot. They just don’t have it,” she says of her neighbors.
For Debra, helping her neighbors as they go through hard times, is important to her. She says she’s happy to see that spirit of giving becoming a trend in the community this holiday season, and she hopes it continues past December.
“Hopefully it stays for the rest of the year because there’s an awful lot of people in need in this valley.”
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