Oh Christmas Trees!

David and Michelle Fein were tired of assembling their old artificial Christmas tree, so they decided to buy a new one. On their way home, Michelle asked, “So what do we do with the old one? It’s still good. Maybe somebody else could use it?”

They listed it for free on Craigslist and received 20 responses almost immediately. They ultimately gave it to a family whose new baby was celebrating its first Christmas. But Michelle wondered, “What about the other people? What are we going to do?”

That night at dinner, they shared the story with some friends, who donated money to buy more trees. After the Gazette ran a story about it, the Feins were able to supply 200 trees to local families that first year.

This marked the beginning of something special: The Christmas Tree Project, which has been giving away trees for 12 years now, complete with decorations, lights, tinsel, candy canes, and even home décor. “The whole thing grew organically,” Michelle says. “We didn’t plan any of this.”

Countless notes of appreciation pour into The Christmas Tree Project from grateful families.

Last year, they received over 30,000 tree requests, and they fill as many as they can. Most of the trees they give away are artificial, but occasionally they receive donations of live trees. One man in Longmont donated 300 live trees for distribution in the Denver area, while a Chicago tree seller gave them another 300 trees, with the condition that they be given away within 48 hours. “It’s not easy giving away 300 trees in two days,” David says. To date, they’ve distributed trees in all 50 states and internationally, in places like Moscow, Pakistan, Nigeria, and India.

Fortunately, they receive plenty of support from volunteers, whom they fondly call “elves.” “People have come out of the woodwork to help us,” David says. Some have been helping since the project’s inception, Michelle adds.

Locally, the tree giveaway takes place during the second weekend of December. Families who have requested a tree are invited to the 2,000-square-foot warehouse to pick up a tree and decorations. For those who can’t collect their tree in person, volunteers deliver it. In cases where that isn’t possible, the Feins send a Walmart gift card so the recipient can buy a tree and trimmings.

The warehouse stores donations of ornaments, lights, and holiday home décor.

In 2021, they gave away about 250 trees locally. Beyond that, they estimate having given away around 4,000 trees worldwide, making them the largest non-military tree giveaway organization globally.

Donations are critical to sustaining their work. During an appearance on *The Kelly Clarkson Show*, the Feins received a $10,000 donation, which enabled them to do even more that year.

The Feins collect trees, decorations, and cash donations year-round, with their elves coming from schools, churches, and businesses—including David’s own software company, ValuSource, where all the employees help out each year. “We get letters... people are so moved to know that others care about them and are so generous,” they say.

The impact is also felt in person during the giveaways. “One woman from Monument donated a tree, and as she drove down to drop it off, she started thinking about all the memories tied to it and had tears in her eyes by the time she arrived,” David recalls. “In the parking lot, she met a woman who was there to pick up a tree and had been living in her car. She gave her that tree, and both of them were crying.”

Every year, Michelle says, “It’s an incredible experience—how it unfolds is always bigger than you can imagine. There’s so much love.” Although local demand often seems overwhelming, David adds, “We’ve never turned anyone away in the past 11 years. We always find a tree for them. Every year, just as we’re about to run out, we get calls saying, ‘I have 100 trees. Do you want them?’ They’re like little Christmas miracles.”

**How to Help**

If you’d like to get involved, visit [thechristmastreeproject.org](http://thechristmastreeproject.org) to volunteer, donate cash, or offer trees and decorations. You can also engage your church, school, company, or another organization. For more information or to make a donation, call 719.799.6074.

**For tree requests ONLY:** Call 719.799.6070.