A Most Special Christmas Tree

I want to begin by saying a big Thank You for giving me an opportunity to participate in this wonderful endeavor.  Giving money to a "cause" is always a good thing, but being able to do something specifically for someone else is truly a blessing.  Here's my story.

Earlier this summer, I learned of a woman in my community named Marchetta whose house had burned down entirely, leaving she and her 3 teenage sons with nothing (and no renters insurance, either, to cover the losses).  Many folks in the community reached out with gifts of clothing and furniture and food at that time and since then, too.  But this kind-hearted, hard-working woman has stayed on my mind, and I wanted to help her in a way that might last beyond a day or a meal.

Having had friends who lived through a fire last year, I've seen the difficulty of replacing the things it took years to collect and how it's hardest at Christmas.  I realized that the one thing I could do for Marchetta and her sons was to bring them Christmas -- in the form of a tree and trimmings.

When I proposed the idea to her, Marchetta started crying and called me an angel, saying that she had just been praying about how to get it all together for Christmas.  It was going to be hard enough just buying Christmas gifts for her son, but she couldn't see how she was going to get them a tree, too.  Putting up a tree was one of their favorite parts of Christmas, and she knew how disappointed the boys would be if she couldn't get them one.

So, I started work on "Project Christmas Tree," trying to find ways to get the most for the Pay-It-Forward dollars entrusted to me.  By shopping smart, I was able to purchase everything her family needed to create a lovely tree-- a beautiful 6-1/2' pre-lit tree (just the right size for her apartment), a tree skirt, a star topper, and many, many ornaments.  I even bought an extension cord for the lights and a storage container so she could organize everything after Christmas.  With smart shopping, there was even some money left, which I used toward a WalMart gift card that Marchetta could use to buy anything else she needed during the Christmas season.

Right after Thanksgiving, I took the tree and ornaments to Marchetta's apartment, and when she saw it all, she was simply overwhelmed.  I cannot tell you how many times she thanked me and said I was an angel.  I'm no angel, but it felt good to be able to help someone in a way that will last beyond this Christmas season.

Before I left, she reminded me that when the opportunity came, she would gladly pay this blessing forward.  And she asked me to thank Paradigm, too, for making it all possible.  So, thank you, for helping make Marchetta's family's Christmas just a little bit brighter and for allowing me to be a part of it all.

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