Deck the halls
Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lumber becomes Habitat homeowner's deck
Sarah and two of her three daughters, 7-year-old Adeline and 10-year-old Abigail, decorate their front porch for Christmas, ushering in the first holiday season in their Habitat home in Corinth, New York.
But even after the holiday passes and the lights and ornaments are placed into storage, Christmas will remain a permanent fixture for the family of four. That’s because their deck was made using lumber from the 2022 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
Sarah and two of her daughters plant vegetable seeds in a planter box built from the lumber of the 2022 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
Each year since 2007, Tishman Speyer, the owner and operator of the Rockefeller Center, has donated the iconic Christmas tree to a Habitat affiliate for use in construction. Lumber from the 2022 tree — an 82-foot, 14-ton Northern Spruce from Queensbury, New York — was sent to Habitat Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties following the holidays. Sarah and Habitat volunteers used the lumber to build a detached side deck and two planter boxes.
Sarah says the deck will be a hangout spot for the family to grill and spend quality time. The family has already used the planter boxes, spreading out soil and planting sweet pepper and carrot seeds. Waiting for the vegetables to sprout will require time and patience, a lesson Sarah hopes her kids learned while watching her journey toward homeownership.
Lumber from the 2022 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was used to build a deck and planter boxes.
“I worked on getting my credit up and improving my savings for almost eight years to be able to purchase a home,” Sarah says. “My kids can see that if you put effort into something, something will come out of it. I hope my kids gain patience and understanding that things don’t happen right away, that it does take time.”
Sarah and her daughters rented an apartment before moving into the four-bedroom home she rehabbed with Habitat’s help. Sarah felt her children didn’t have a safe space to play freely and express themselves. Now, she has peace of mind knowing Adeline, Abigail and 9-year-old Allison can enjoy the playset in their backyard and paint the walls in their bedrooms without asking a landlord for permission.
More than anything, Sarah is happy her family has their own place to grow.
“Just to be here, to have my kids grow up here. We’re continuing to make it our home instead of just a house.”— Sarah, Habitat homeowner
