United Way and Target Make the Holidays Brighter for YouthBuild Students

Target stores have partnered with United Way's across the country to donate 3,400 decorated holiday trees through the Target Share-a-Tree Program—now in its 19th consecutive year. This year, Target of Commack donated decorated trees to United Way of Long Island's YouthBuild students, Lavasia Collier and Michael Russell.

"The contribution of Christmas trees to our students is truly invaluable," said Elizabeth Morgan, Director of YouthBuild. "Many of our students and their families do not have the means to purchase holiday decorations. Bringing a decorated Christmas tree home to their loved ones will definitely help make their holiday season a little brighter."

YouthBuild is a youth and community-development program that simultaneously addresses core issues facing low-income communities: housing, education, employment, crime prevention, and leadership development. In YouthBuild programs, low-income young people, ages 18 to 24, work towards their GEDs or high school diplomas while learning job skills by building affordable Green housing for low- to moderate-income people, and participating in leadership development activities in their communities.

United Way volunteers are distributing the trees to families in need and partner agencies such as shelters, community centers and childcare programs. The trees are worth an estimated $1.7 million