The idea for Helping Hands was conceived in 2016, with one goal in mind – to brighten the lives of children and their families who are having to spend their holiday in a pediatric hospital. In 2023, we were fortunate to grow Helping Hands from one hospital our first year, to 13 hospitals and organizations in 12 cities across the U.S. And we look forward to expanding the program over many more years to come.
Our sales representatives begin early in the year, engaging designers and flooring professionals who want to participate. In November and December, they come together for a friendly competition to see who designed the best trees. The creativity is amazing. The themed designs range from popular children’s movie characters to superheroes and princesses, to teen’s favorite pop stars.
Helping Hands is about more than just decorating a tree. The program connects and unites design and manufacturing professionals in a special way that enables them to give back to their respective communities at a particularly tender time for youngsters on the path to healing.
The trees are put on display in the hospital for children and families to peruse and select their favorite to take with them and adorn their hospital rooms. It’s heartwarming to see a child that is not feeling well light up when they see all of the creativity on display. To watch them make their selection and pick out a tree that fits their personality is so special. Out of the many trees, the right tree always seems to find the right owner.
These trees represent to the children, hope and excitement, to not have to think about their illness or pain or having to be away from home during the holiday. The trees also provide the parents with the opportunity to see their kids have joy about the holiday season, and that truly is the best gift of all, because every kid deserves that. This event not only puts smiles on the faces of the children and their parents, but also the nurses, doctors and hospital staff. Helping Hands represents one of the most significant and tangible ways that J+J Flooring associates embody the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility.
