Christmas, Charity and Community: How Christmas Trees Are Changing Lives at Home of Hope

Before Craig Cothern started selling Christmas trees to support local charities, he grew up watching his father model generosity in the Christmas season.

“My dad would go out the week before Christmas. He didn’t really say anything about what he was doing, but one year, he took me with him. We visited several widows and single mothers, and he gave them money,” Craig shared. “He didn’t do it to be seen. He just found out about people in the community who needed help [and helped them].

“We didn’t come from money. We were just a normal family. But my dad felt that if he could even give just a hundred dollars, then it could help make sure that a kid had Christmas.”

His father’s kindness has stayed with Craig throughout adulthood, and now Craig has made his faith and his father’s charity a practice of his own.

“Christ said to take care of the widows and the orphans, and that is something that has always been ingrained in my heart,” he said.

This heart for the women and children in the community is something Craig shares with his church family at Neighborhood Church. For the last 11 years, Craig and Neighborhood Church have championed a Christmas tree project called Buy a Tree, Change a Life.

“It all started with one church [in Florida] that was raising money for a couple to adopt a child, and it’s grown from there to over 65 churches across the United States,” he explained.

Starting a few days before Thanksgiving, churches sell Christmas trees and custom ornaments to raise money and awareness for organizations serving children. Since 2012, almost 13 million dollars have been donated to help children at home and abroad.

Seven years ago, when Craig heard about Home of Hope from his wife’s colleague, [Home of Hope donor and board member] Peggy Slappey, he found an organization that was meeting needs in the community close to his heart.

“[Home of Hope] is about giving a hand up, not a handout. They’re not just giving somebody something to help them get by. They’re teaching the ladies who come through the program how to be successful in life, how to be successful in business or in their careers. [Families] don’t just escape homelessness. They can break through poverty and live productive lives on their own,” Craig shared.

Since that first connection with Home of Hope, Neighborhood Church’s Buy a Tree, Change a Life has made an annual donation to bless the mothers and kids at Home of Hope.

“We decided we would make them one of our premier charities that we raise money for with our Christmas tree sales, and we’ve given them over $10,000 every year,” he explained. 

“We’ve been able to increase the amount of money we raise every year, which means we can turn around and give even more of that away to local charities, and we still want to do more!”

So when the community turns out to buy Christmas trees and ornaments this holiday season, they’re doing more than decorating their home; they’re spreading goodwill to women and children in crisis!

“[Home of Hope is reminding] these women that they have value and they have worth,” he said. “I would love to see them double their capacity and serve even more families.”