Christmas trees are an essential part of bringing joy to the holidays, and every season since World War ll the Hingham Congregational Church has run the annual tree lot at Hingham Harbour. Some people might remember it being on Station St. It was always run by adults until 1960 or-1970 when the decision to change it to youth group volunteers and adult helpers was made. The money earned would support the youth group projects. Today, most volunteers are adults; they are always looking for high school volunteers! You may have noticed the small shed in the lot. Inside are signatures from all the High School volunteers from at least the 1970s!
Today, the tree lot funds the high school youth group service trips so that the high schoolers can support other people in need. These trips involve going to other communities in the country to help others rebuild their homes. Under the leadership of Reverend Peter Allen, the tree lot continues to support the mission of helping those in need.
Reverend Peter Allen, the minister of HCC (Hingham Congregational Church), explained that “It’s a way to connect, it supports a really good program, it’s fun, and it celebrates through service.” Peter Allen encourages more volunteering amongst teenagers because each year there are fewer and fewer teenagers involved in the tree lot. Will Taylor, a Hingham Middle School eighth grader expressed his opinions about volunteering at the tree lot. When asked if there should be more teenagers involved in the tree lot, Will responded, “I do, so that there are more people that I can hang out with. Because there are mostly adults.” Will also explained how this was his third shift of the season meaning that volunteering at the tree lot is fun.
However, The Boy Scouts from Troop #1 have been volunteering at the tree lot for several years. They earn money by collecting the trees after the holiday season, and they recycle them. A Hingham resident, Sarah England stated, “I would rather support youth initiatives than big corporations. The seniors would rather support the scouts, and the pickup is phenomenal.” She believes that supporting the community initiatives brings people closer together within the community.
A fellow Hingham Middle School eighth grader, Declan O’Connell added that, “I think that there should be more kids, so that it shows that they care about the community.” The students noted that they would be volunteering for the tree sales in high school because it is a fantastic way of getting volunteer hours. Sadly, with the lack of volunteers who are willing to run the tree lot, most people come to the Harbor to do self- service. However, it is nice to see young people help with the community.
Volunteering for the Christmas tree lot is a great way for anyone to be involved in the community because it builds character, can be a wonderful way to have fun during the Christmas season, and it helps pay it forward to other communities in need. Hopefully, there will be more people that want to volunteer, and who will sign their name in the shed.
