About

Be the Tree is a non-profit organization based in Frisco, Texas that serves the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We were founded in 2012 with a simple idea: Give hope and love to those in need.

The holiday season can be a difficult one for many DFW youth and their families. Be the Tree recipients are given gift cards that enable them to make the holiday season their own. These gifts allow them to purchase food and presents that they want, need and/or wouldn’t be able to purchase on their own.

“Giving with Dignity” is at the core of our mission.  Rather than just giving money or stuff that we think people will want or need, we want to facilitate independence and create a relationship with our recipients.

Be the Tree is a twist on the phrase “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”  Since we started this at Christmas time and we use trees as our delivery mechanism, Be the Tree seemed like a good fit.

Our staff consists solely of our founders, from left to right, Dayla Bradford, Damon Vinci and Evie Vinci.  We are run entirely on donations, take no salary and do what we can to keep expenses to a minimum so we can give as much as possible.  Our focus has been on youth in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, specifically high school students considered to be “at-risk.”  These students come from a variety of backgrounds, including homelessness, abuse, addiction, divorce, medical issues and more.  Our hope is we can bridge the holiday time with these gifts and make memories that will change their lives.

To identify students in need, we’ve partnered with various high schools in the area.  We have a four-year relationship with the Winfree Academy, which is a charter school that specifically serves at-risk youth.  In 2015 we also partnered with Frisco ISD’s Student Opportunity Center.  Our goal is to continue to grow and expand to reach more students each year.