MILWAUKEE — People walking by the corner of 45th and Vliet streets will notice a tree decorated for the season. But this tree isn’t just one for the winter months; over the past year, it’s been decorated for dozens of different holidays to promote kindness within a Milwaukee community.
It all started the day after Christmas, a year ago, when Jerry Burns found a healthy Christmas tree thrown out on his curb.
“I just happened to have an extra tree stand and I thought, well, I’m gonna plop that down right here on the corner. That's a prominent place everybody could see,” said Burns.
He had extra ornaments from his own tree inside that he used to decorate the corner tree. He then left a note inviting people to take an ornament and leave an ornament.
“Surprisingly, people kind of rose to the occasion and there was a lot of interplay there.”
It encouraged Burns to keep the tree up and decorate it for Valentine’s Day, then eventually St. Patrick’s Day of that year.
When the needles on the tree browned and it was time to throw it away, he decided to use some old plywood to make a wooden, permanent version of a tree for that corner, marking the beginning of a tradition.
From Bastille day to Dia de Los Muertos, to the Fourth of July, Burns created what he now calls the "All Season Tree." He says this year's Christmas tree is about the 20th variation.
Each holiday comes with its own unique decorations and additions to bring the community together, like taking a can of food and leaving a can of food on world hunger day, or offering mittens and hats for folks who may need them during the winter.
“The idea kind of catches on, random acts of kindness,” said Burns. “Other people kind of pick it up and push it forward.”
His latest addition to the tree is a handmade Little Free Library, where people passing by can leave a book and take a new one. He says the response to the tree has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Perfect strangers would roll down their window and say 'I love your tree it makes me feel so good!'” Burns told TMJ4 News.
He says living on the corner of his street has allowed him a special space to welcome people into his community and encourage others to do the same, all year round.
“It’s real easy to get down and discouraged, and I do sometimes myself, but I kind of see this as a counterforce, too, making an extra effort to be positive and hopeful.”
This year, Burns is already planning decorations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President’s Day. He encourages anyone who stops by his corner to visit the tree and get to know their own neighbors, too.
