For the 10th year in a row, the Christmas Tree Project will be providing free, fully-decorated Christmas trees to families in need, having already received over 17,000 requests this year.

The project began in 2010 when Colorado Springs residents Michelle and David Fein posted an ad on Craigslist to give away their artificial Christmas tree. The ad got over 20 responses in a few hours, many from struggling parents who couldn’t afford a tree for their children.

The Feins gave their tree to a young couple with an 11-month-old baby girl and then bought a new tree for a local boy’s home that had responded to the ad. But they wanted to do more.

The Feins reached out to their community to try to meet the need they saw. By the end of the holiday season, they had given away more than 300 trees.

Since then, the project has given away over 4,100 Christmas trees to families in 47 states and abroad, as far away as Karachi, Pakistan.

“This turned out to be such a happy accident for us, that it’s a thrill to be doing it again,” the Feins said. “A beautiful, sparkling Christmas tree can make all the difference in the world to a family going through hard times right now.”

Already this year, the project has received as many requests as it did in the entirety of 2019.

To help this year, people can sponsor custom-decorated trees for $100, volunteer as tree deliverers in their area or give cash donations.

Even though need is larger than ever, the Feins believe people will step up in a big way this season to cut through the political, economic and social tension that has been apparent this year.

“It’s been overwhelming to see the vast reservoirs of energy and generosity that exist today when you simply offer people a chance to become involved and contribute, even in a small way,” the Feins said.

To request a tree, volunteer or donate, visit thechristmastreeproject.org.