Feel Good Friday - Trees for Troops

In today’s Feel Good Friday, we invite you to take a break from trimming your Christmas tree and learn about Trees for Troops.

It starts with the Christmas Spirit Foundation, an organization whose mission is “to advance the Christmas Spirit for kids, families and the environment through programs and activities.” One of their major programs is Trees for Troops.

Since 2005, the Christmas Spirit Foundation has partnered with Christmas tree growers and FedEx to provide “free, farm-grown Christmas Trees to United States armed forces members in all branches of the military and their families, through donations, sponsorships, grants and the work of many volunteers.”

To date the Trees for Troops program has delivered more than 277,001 trees to military families in the U.S. and to troops stationed overseas in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Spain and Guam. This year they will pick up over 15,000 trees from 55 locations around the country and deliver them to 77 military bases.

Trees are donated by individual farms and lots, the collective efforts of state and regional Christmas Tree associations, local sponsoring groups, and the customers of participating locations. If there’s not a location near you, check the websites as some of these locations offer online purchase and donation of trees. 

Each year, hundreds of donors and volunteers participate to make Trees for Troops happen. Ilf you’d like to be one of them you can make a donation to Trees for Troops and amplify their message on social media. Like their Facebook page, and follow them onTwitter @Trees4Troops and on Instagram @treesfortroops. 

Feel Good Friday - National Christmas Tree Association

With Christmas around the corner, it's time to make the National Christmas Tree Association today's Feel Good Friday organization.

As explained on their website, "the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) is the national trade association representing the Christmas tree industry." This includes over 700 member farms and more than 4,000 affiliated business that grow and sell trees or provide related supplies and services.

The NCTA's mission "is to protect and advocate for the farm-grown Christmas Tree industry" and their vision "is that a farm-grown tree is part of every Christmas celebration. They provide the White House Christmas tree (green, not red) and fund the Christmas Tree Promotion Board, which (yes, you guessed correctly) promotes real Christmas trees to enhance value and demand.

Visit the NCTA website before Christmas and use their tree locator to find real Christmas trees near you and then check their selection tips to pick your perfect tree. Help your tree last through the entire season by following these care tips.

When the holiday is over and your tree start dropping needles all over your house, follow these instructions for recycling your tree. For those of you who live in the San Francisco Bay Area,  everything you need to know about composting or recycling your tree can be found at this link.

Want to make sure you remember the NCTA next year when shopping for a tree? Like their Facebook page to stay in the loop. Merry Christmas!