Tree of Hope extends branches to child victims for Christmas

The Christmas holiday is a time of celebration and to spend time with loved ones, but for hundreds of children in the Pittsburgh area, it can also be a reminder of the mothers and fathers they’ve lost to senseless acts of violence. But thanks to Adrienne Young through her organization, Tree of Hope, and countless donations from Pittsburgh people, these children’s Christmas will be a little brighter.
On Dec. 19 during the Tree of Hope’s 15th Annual Christmas Celebration and Toy Drive at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty area, 548 children received several toys, most donated by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
“I went through it myself and I knew what I needed (at that time), so I knew that they needed help. It’s a blessing and I’m very happy to meet their needs,” Young said of to the organization’s giving. “We started out this year not knowing where the toys were going to come from. We started with about 100 toys, so we are very thankful (to all those who gave).”
Young said the annual celebration began in 2000, several years after the death of her son, Javon Thompson, who was gunned down days before Christmas, December 1994, by a local gang member while home on Christmas break. He left behind an unborn child, Tajaya Thompson. Young said after seeing what her granddaughter, and other child victims like her, had gone through over the years and realizing their families’ needs around the holiday, she decided to do something.