One Giving Tree
Since 2014 One Giving Tree has been making the holidays brighter for local kids and their families, youth and adults, and our senior neighbors. We are so grateful for the help and trust of our volunteers, supporters, and sponsors. Thank you!
Help us make the holidays brighter!
One Giving Tree
Works with established nonprofit agencies to provide Christmas tree “kits” (A fresh cut tree, ornaments, hooks, garland, a tree topper, a tree stand, and small surprises in a reusable shopping bag) to local kids and their families, senior citizens, veterans, group homes, and individuals who would otherwise go without a tree during the holidays.
Can one tree change the world?
We know that if we stay true to our mission of“Making the holidays brighter” anything is possible. For many individuals and families Christmas time can be a reminder of how tough life is. A Christmas tree in a home can have an opposite effect. It can serve as a reminder that life isn’t so bad, that we all belong, and someone cares. A tree can ease dispair and bring hope. Hope can brighten the holidays for a child, a family, a senior. These long-lasting memories can change their world for the better. Our hope is that they can then do the same for others. So, we answer the question; “Can one tree change the world?” with a resounding YES!
What we do:
It’s pretty simple. We provide Christmas trees. Maybe that’s enough to provide a little hope and encouragement during the holidays. One tree at the right time just may be enough to build lasting, positive memories in the precious lives of our youth, hard working parents, seniors, our neighbors in silent dispair. One giving tree. One great memory. One sense of belonging. One reminder that we are all connected. One more positive experience in a person’s life. One reason to not give up. Not now. Not later. Not ever. One act of kindness. One way to say to someone you will never meet, “You are loved.” One Giving Tree focuses on Making the holidays brighter. We do this one tree at a time, one child at a time, one family at a time, one community at a time. It’s pretty simple. We provide Christmas trees.
Our History:
During a planning meeting in the winter of 2014, a local business group was offered 10 free Christmas trees for an upcoming event. The group would have to organize the cutting, hauling, set up and decorating, teardown, removal, and disposal of the trees for this 3-hour event. It was a great opportunity – but too big of a task to make sense. Add to this, the night of the event a massive storm was predicted to hit the area. The group passed on the offer of the trees. It was a good decision.
In the meeting sat Mike, our “Chief Kid at Heart.” When the group passed on thte trees, he had an idea. He saw the problem of 10 trees for the group as an opportunity for 10 local families to have a brighter Christmas. He accepted the trees. Then his mind started racing. Within a couple weeks, he didn’t find 10 homes in need of trees. He found 36. With Debbi’s blessing, he dug into their holiday budget a little, and turned to friends and family to raise the funds needed to purchase 26 additional trees, plus ornaments, tree stands, and toppers for all 36. Relying on a few tireless volunteers, the trust of friends and family, and two local social service agencies, 36 Christmas tree “kits” were delivered in early December, just in time for Christmas. Somewhere between that first idea and delivering the trees to local families, One Giving Tree was born.
One Giving Tree Today:
In 2016 Debbi officially jumped in. She brought event, administrative, and networking skills to the table. Debbi has helped grow One Giving Tree from 36 tree kits provided in 2014 to over 1,030 tree kits provided in 2025. Debbi’s fundraising and event management efforts with our One Bright Night annual fundraiser put our organzation in a position to make it through the two-year global economic shutdown and still deliver 332 tree kits in 2020, and 376 tree kits in 2021. By December of 2023, One Giving Tree had delivered over 3,000 tree kits to the communities we serve! As of 2025 Under Debbi’s leadership, One Giving Tree has provided over 5,000 tree kits to date. Our 2026 goal is to provide 1,200 tree kits.
Now a registered 501c3 nonprofit community service organization, our future looks bright. In this post- shutdown world, our mission of making the holidays brighter is more important than ever. In 2022, we founded a free community garden for local residents. Now under new management, the garden still serves over 60 families. Community gardening is a long held dream of ours, and we are just getting started! Stay tuned as our story grows. Join our newsletter below to keep up on our latest developments!
Learn More about One Giving Tree:
One Giving Tree received the Nonprofit of the Year award from the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce in 2022.
our sponsors
our Sponsors
We want to thank our incredible sponsors who step up to the plate year after year with critical funds, facilities, vehicles, equipment, in-kind donations, and support in various other ways.
We proudly share their businesses as a small gesture to show appreciation for their much-needed support. Our heartfelt thanks to our incredible sponsors!
Please support these local businesses and organizations. They truly are community champions. Contact us anytime for more information!
one giving tree:
In the winter of 2014, One Giving Tree began with ten Christmas trees and a vision. By 2025, we had donated over 4,300 tree kits. By the end of the day on Monday, December 1st, 2026, we expect to have donated more than 5,000 tree kits in total. we donated over 4,300 tree kits. At the end of the day on Monday, December 1st, 2026, we will have donated more than 5,000 tree kits to date.
our location
Communities We Serve
We proudly serve the Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and San Martin, communities. Through our partner agencies, we extend our area to cover limited parts of South San Jose and Hollister, CA.