J+J Flooring's 7th annual Helping Hands initiative has helped young patients in hospitals across the U.S. this holiday season. 

Each November and December, this friendly competition engages designers and flooring professionals who team up and create festive Christmas trees based on different motifs chosen by kids. These themed symbols of the holidays are then donated to regional children’s hospitals for patients and their families to enjoy.

“We have been so fortunate to be able to grow this program from one hospital the first year to 13 hospitals and organizations in eight states for 2023,” said Kim Bobo, director of marketing at J+J Flooring. “Thanks to the positive response to Helping Hands and the generosity of design friends and partners across the country, we have been able to tremendously scale up our impact each holiday season.”

This year, Helping Hands spread cheer through J+J associates and participating firms in Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; Chicago; Dallas; Fort Worth, Texas; Houston; Indianapolis; and Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, the initiative expanded into Austin, Texas; Charlotte, N.C.; Galveston, Texas; and Portland, Oregon. More than 1,150 individual Christmas trees were decorated as part of the 2023 events, which collectively drew over 1,125 guests, marking it as the largest initiative to date.

Helping Hands is about more than just decorating a tree. The program connects and unites design and manufacturing professionals in a special way that enables them to give back to their respective communities at a particularly tender time for youngsters on the path to healing.

Designers are even encouraged to incorporate toys and games into the tree décor to be repurposed for continued use beyond the holiday season.

“We can’t even begin to imagine what it is like for kids who have to spend the holidays away from home and in the hospital,” said Bobo. “This is a small — albeit impactful way — that our community can add some magic to the season of giving.”

At the conclusion of the competition, the winning design teams in each market were able to accompany J+J Flooring representatives for the long-anticipated delivery of the trees at each hospital. Children and their families perused the trees in pop-up holiday forests, picking their favorite to take with them and adorn their hospital rooms.

The heartwarming goodwill gesture has become a cherished holiday tradition in the architecture and design community. Helping Hands represents one of the most significant and tangible ways that J+J Flooring associates embody the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility.