KEY BISCAYNE, FLA. (WSVN) - First responders and some 7News viewers are spreading holiday cheer by stepping up to help a South Florida church in need, and that house of worship in turn is paying it forward to another congregation.
7News cameras on Saturday captured Christmas trees under a big tent at Key Biscayne Community Church.
The trees are a symbol of the Christmas season that also represents a major fundraiser for youth programs at the church.
“We have some Christmas trees to sell and hopefully get the spirit back under the tent,” said the Rev. Dennis Eastling, the church’s pastor.
These trees are available for sale in spite of the order the church placed with a tree broker from out of state months ago. Eastling said they put more than $34,000 down, and they were supposed to receive the trees on Nov. 21.
But the trees didn’t arrive on that date or any time after that, and Eastling said, when it came to getting answers or their money back, they were ghosted.
“When we tried to inquire about what was going on, there was no reply,” he said. “The phone’s been disconnected, they’re not answering emails, all those kinds of things, so we kind of felt like we got punched in the gut.”
But out of that financial blow, a blessing came.
“Jim Vassey from North Miami found out about our dilemma, and he actually was a victim of the exact same tree farm last year, and so, his heart broke for us,” said Eastling.
The church purchased 350 trees at Vassey’s cost, and he donated 75 more.
The Miami Beach Firefighters Benevolent Association on Friday provided another 100 Christmas trees on consignment.
Eastling said he learned a Catholic church also fell victim to the same broker.
“They got stung by the same guy, and so, they were only purchasing about 140 trees originally,” he said, “and I got to talk to the priest up there, and I told him that we would be willing to send him a hundred of these trees so they could have their annual fundraiser also.”
Eastling said they are open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day until they sell all the trees.
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