Joe & Lisa at Helping Hearts Tree Farm
Helping Hearts Tree Farm: Where Every Tree Grows Hope
Donations for Make-A-Wish are being collected at the Helping Hearts Wishing Well
Before you hang the ornaments and untangle the lights, imagine choosing a Christmas tree that does more than brighten your home — it brings joy to children fighting critical illness.
This holiday, head to Helping Hearts Tree Farm in Port Orchard, where owners Joe and Lisa Larsen give a portion of every tree sold back to the community.
The couple, radiating with warm smiles, built their farm with a mission rooted in hope. In 2014, they purchased 10 acres of forestland in Western Washington to fulfill a dream of owning a farm dedicated to improving the lives of children facing cancer. “We’re a small farm with a big mission,” Joe said.
Their passion is deeply personal. Joe’s brother, Thomas, passed away from leukemia at age 12. Before he died, friends arranged for Thomas to meet athletes and movie stars in Los Angeles. “It had a huge impact on him,” Joe recalls. “He was extremely happy, even though he was very sick.”
The Larsens want more kids, like Thomas, to experience the transformational gift of a wish. In recent years, Helping Hearts Tree Farm has raised more than $6,500 for Make-A-Wish through tree sales and hosting an auction at a classic car show last summer.
“[Wish kids] go through so much. And when they get something as powerful as a wish granted, it lifts their spirits and they’re able to enjoy such a special moment.”
Lisa Larsen
The owner of Helping Hearts, Lisa, standing beside their Giving Tree.
“We give to Make-A-Wish because we understand the impact a wish can have on a child’s morale,” shared Lisa, a cancer survivor. “They go through so much. And when they get something as powerful as a wish granted, it lifts their spirits and they’re able to enjoy such a special moment.”
At the farm, wish kids are treated like VIPs. Each child receives a tree at no cost, and a new tree is planted in their honor in the Garden of Hope, a living tribute where families can watch it flourish and grow every year.
This season, enhance a child’s life by purchasing a beautiful evergreen at the Larsen's farm. You’ll also find a Make-A-Wish Giving Tree, where you can take a tag and buy gifts requested by wish kids to make their holiday brighter.
Helping Hearts Tree Farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until December 15. It’s located at 3001 SW Glenacres Court, Port Orchard, WA 98367. Call 253-370-0785 or email helpingheartsfarm@yahoo.com for more information.
Can’t make it to the farm? Rally your friends, colleagues, school, church, family or activity group and host a Giving Tree, bringing SMILES to wish kids anytime of the year.
Don’t delay! Turn your holiday tradition into something extraordinary. Plant hope. Grant wishes. Watch smiles grow.