Since the time she was a child, Kathryn has loved looking up. Trees were for hugging then, for gathering leaves and jumping in, for sitting underneath in the shade.

Pine trees, and in particular, Christmas trees have held a most tender place in Kathryn's heart. Every year, when she knew she had to take the tree down - Christmas and New Year's were over after all - she'd cry. And this crying and wishing for something different continued in her life until just two years ago when Kathryn adopted, yes, the Valentine tree.

Now, her tree goes up right after Thanksgiving and stays until after Valentine's Day. The decorations change of course, but not the tree and its accompanying lights.

Trees give so much love and light during a season cramped with darkness and cold, and Kathryn is happy to gaze on her tree when others have weeks ago replaced their own tree with the usual comfy chair or end table.

She is a writer by trade, a mentor by profession, and a book lover by heart. She enjoys walking on the beach and gathering shells, enjoying the crisp mountain air, spending time with her family, and touching the bark of an old oak tree.

Because some things never grow old.

Doug works primarily with computers, copiers and printers. He enjoys the satisfaction in repairing and bringing back to life something that seemed dead or not repairable.

But Doug has a softer side, he has always loved the happiness and joy that the Christmas season brings.

He wanted to begin a tree farm. He wanted to give away free trees to those in need. The family didn't own land for such a venture; heck, they wondered how to come up with the money for such a venture when they were still scraping by themselves.

And so, the dream sat. I think the dream was thinking about what it was going to do.

And then, in February of 2018, it spoke to Kathy - the mother of the family:
"Why not buy artificial trees? Why not give to families in need, trees for keeps?"

It was then Trees For Keeps was born.