In 1990, The Giving Tree started as a small social action group within Temple Beth El providing holiday gifts for a few local families in need. In the early years, Myra Singer, founding Chair, along with some friends, used her garage to sort and organize the holiday gift giving program.
With the support of Temple Beth El clergy, congregants and the community at large The Giving Tree’s Holiday Project, now serves close to 2000 recipients referred by over 20 local social service agencies in Palm Beach County. The expansion of this program evolved from outreach and connections with schools, caseworkers, community police officers, religious organizations and others serving local low-income and homeless populations.
Spreading cheer at the holiday and filling each child’s specific wish requests became a springboard to learning more about recipients’ needs that went well beyond the holiday gifts. Over the past 15 years, the Giving Tree has expanded into a year round project, operating 3 programs: The Holiday Project, The Back To School Project and The Quiet Giving Project. In 2016, The Giving Tree spun off a branch of Quiet Giving, Sweet Dreams, created through the efforts and leadership of former Giving Tree Co-Chair, Suzanne Broad, to Sweet Dream Makers, Inc., an independent non-profit 501c3.
