By Joel Schipper
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Christmas is now less than three weeks and one local church is using the season to not only focus on those in the community but those several thousand miles away.
Solid Rock Church in Louisville has transformed their church parking lot into a Christmas tree lot.
It’s part of a program called “Buy a Tree, Change a Life," an organization that uses all the proceeds from tree sales to combat human trafficking around the world especially in Southeast Asia.
“The city of Louisville is such a giving city and such a city that loves kids and we are happy to be a church and a community like this that just loves children,” says Solid Rock Pastor Jon Boling.
85 percent of the money raised goes to outreach programs in Cambodia and the rest stays locally.
“We’re working with the Mayor’s office here in the city of Louisville that 15 percent is staying here to go to our Community Centers,” said Boling.
Volunteers make wreaths and take donations at Louisville location, one of four in the state.
The project began four years ago and currently has 35 other locations across the country from Oregon to Miami. A family at Life Point Church in Homestead, Florida was adopting a child from Ethiopia and needed $25,000 in order to make their dream a reality.
The money was raised after their church sold 450 trees.
The Frasier Firs range in price from $60 to $99 dollars and organizers say so far additional donations and support have been strong this year.
Organizers say they have sold about half the trees they began the season with. and they plan to stay open until Dec.18 or until the trees are gone.
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