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BySuzanne Hull

Daughters of Norway – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

The tree theme this year is “Hues of color of homes/Churches in Norway”, which will have decor to showcase the colors of homes both inside and out: beautiful oranges, reds, greens, and yellows. These will brighten the chills of Norway winters.

Why did our organization choose to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction?

  • To get more publicity for our organization. We are a vital organization with deep cultural ties in Iowa.

How will the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction funds benefit our organization?

  • The funds give us more chances to have speakers come in our meetings & to teach us more about our culture & tradition.

If you are excited to see what Daughter of Norway have in store for us this year, visit Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!

BySuzanne Hull

Community Food Closet – New Beginnings Christian Church – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

Community Food Closet – New Beginnings Christian Church’s angel tree will be decorated by a multitude of angel ornaments donated by their congregation. Angels are God’s helpers and the people who volunteer at the Food Closet are helping God feed his sheep.

Why did our organization choose to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction?

  • We feel this is a good way to get all of our congregation participating by donating an ornament. It also is a fun project.

How will the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction funds benefit our organization?

  • The funds are only used as needed for the community food closet. We need food containers, eggs, milk, etc.

Check out Community Food Closet – New Beginnings Christian Church’s tree at Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!

BySuzanne Hull

Beacon of Life – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

The Beacon’s tree theme this year is “26 Days of Christmas: A Day of Hope.” Just as each day of the holiday season brings new anticipation, each day at The Beacon represents the opportunity for a woman to begin again.

With 34 shelter beds and 32 units of permanent supportive housing, The Beacon provides safe homes and supportive services for women in Central Iowa. These women are mothers, daughters, and neighbors — working not to be judged by the hardest day of their lives, but to be given a true first chance at rebuilding.

The “26 Days of Christmas” theme highlights our 26 for Her campaign, which reminds us that $26 provides one woman with a full day of shelter, safety, and stability. Our tree will be decorated with handmade ornaments and notes of encouragement.
Each decoration is a reminder that when women are supported, they thrive. In fact, 85% of our graduates do not relapse or return to prison — instead, they move forward with stable housing, income, and renewed hope.

As Nia, one of our graduates, shared: “The Beacon gave me more than a place to live. It gave me a community that believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. That made all the difference.

When you see The Beacon’s tree at Christkindlmarket Des Moines, know that every ornament represents a woman’s story of courage, transformation, and the power of community to create lasting change. Learn more about our work at thebeacondm.org.

Check out The Beacon’s tree of hope at Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!

BySuzanne Hull

Danish Brotherhood Lodge #15 – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

Danish Brotherhood Lodge #15’s tree this year will be The Danish Julenisse/Gnome. The tree will have various decorations that depict this mischievous gift giving creature as well as ornaments made from straw and paper. The Danish flag with its white cross on a red background sets our color palette. Stars, woven hearts, flags, snowflakes and more, will carry the Christmastime message.

Why did our organization choose to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction?

  • Danish Brotherhood loves sharing our traditions especially at Christmas as in Denmark this dark time of year is brightened by Christmas trees. Danish Brotherhood Lodge #15 wishes to support other non profits as well as the area by providing a tree to share at Christkindlmarket Des Moines. It is important to let everyone know that there are active Danish heritage groups available in the Des Moines metropolitan area.

How will the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction funds benefit our organization?

  • Lodge #15 is a philanthropic group. The profit from our tree will be added to our non-profit donation fund which is mostly funded by our two Æbleskiver Brunches. This fund regularly contributes to food drives, veterans organizations, Miracle League Baseball as well as Danish groups. Last year we donated more than $2,000 to other non-profits. This is on top of $9,000 it awarded in scholarships funded by a 7-course Danish Dinner named Kolde Bord.

Check out Danish Brotherhood Lodge #15’s tree at Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!

BySuzanne Hull

Fort Des Moines Little League – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

Fort Des Moines Little League (FDMLL)’s tree this year is Happy Birthday USA! The tree will be filled with red, white and blue patriotic decorations to celebrate the 250th birthday of the USA in 2026. Small flags, wooden ornaments with photos of historic people and places in the USA, various red, white and blue decorative ornaments.

Why did our organization choose to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction?

  • FDMLL has chosen to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction to help raise funds for our youth baseball program and to spread the word about FDMLL to our local community.

How will the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction funds benefit our organization?

  • Profits made through the various fundraising events FDMLL participate in has contributed to the purchase of new machines to maintain our ball fields at FDMLL. Running a ball field is a never ending cycle of expenses and we try to find and utilize as many local resources as possible to ease the cost on our families that participate in youth baseball. We use funds from fundraising events to pay for general expenses and in turn we are able to keep the cost low for families to sign up for a season of little league baseball.

Check out Fort Des Moines Little League’s tree at Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!

BySuzanne Hull

Friendship Force of Greater Des Moines – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

Friendship Force of Greater Des Moines’ tree will be themed Peace, Love, and Friendship. It will be decorated with Retro-60’s colors with peace symbols and peace doves.

Why did our organization choose to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction?

  • We enjoy the festive festival and it serves our mission of promoting peace.

How will the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction funds benefit our organization?

  • It will pay for the tree decorations we purchased or made for our tree.

Check out Friendship Force of Greater Des Moines‘ tree at Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!

BySuzanne Hull

Full Circle Recovery Community Centers – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

Full Circle Recovery Community Center’s tree theme is The Gift of Recovery. The tree decorations fit with the theme by including words of hope, well-being, and supports. It will be teal and gold with ornaments with our staff/volunteer/recoveree’s sobriety dates and messaging about hope/gifts of recovery. It will be sprinkled with recovery-inspired words as the tinsel.

Why did our organization choose to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction?

  • The mission of Full Circle Recovery is to expand pathways of recovery that empower people to embrace their full potential. We envision a culture where self-directed recovery is visible, accessible to all, and embraced by the community.
  • To achieve our mission and vision, it is important that we recover out loud and share our stories so people see that recovery is possible.
  • This event is an opportunity for the recovery community to raise awareness about recovery and reduce the stigma associated with substance use disorder.

How will the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction funds benefit our organization?

  • Funds will benefit the organization by going directly to support peer recovery support services which are provided by people in recovery, for people in recovery.
  • Trained peer recovery coaches meet with people who are seeking to begin or sustain their recovery. Recovery coaches help recoverees create a recovery plan, access resources to support their recovery journey, and create safe and fun spaces for meetings, groups, community events, and educational opportunities.
  • This helps build recovery capital (personal, family/social, community, and cultural capital) for people in recovery.

Check out Full Circle Recovery Community Center’s tree at Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!

BySuzanne Hull

Sons of Norway – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

Sons of Norway’s tree theme this year is Hygge Christmas. Hygge is a word in Norwegian that describes a cozy, contented mood evoked by comfort and conviviality. The tree will be festooned with candles, cookies, candies, mittens, kind words and musical notes. Also winter evoking ornaments like snowflakes and icicles are to be displayed. Norwegian flag colors of red, white and blue will dominate on Rosemal decorated ornaments.

Why did our organization choose to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction?

  • Sons of Norway participates because Christmas and the Holiday season are important both in Norway and in our own US communities. It is another way to celebrate and share the season.

How will the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction funds benefit our organization?

  • In the past our auction proceeds were used to fund scholarships for grade and high schoolers to Language Camp. Another portion funded college student scholarships here and in Norway. We will again support these programs this year.

Check out Sons of Norway’s tree at Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!

BySuzanne Hull

Scottish Heritage Society of Iowa – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

Scottish Heritage Society of Iowa’s tree this year will be Scotties & Heelan Coos. It will feature Traditional colors with Scottie dogs and Highland cows.

Why did our organization choose to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction?

  • It’s fun and we love to decorate a traditional tree with a Scottish theme.

How will the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction funds benefit our organization?

  • It will pay for the tree decorations we purchased or made for our tree.

Check out Scottish Heritage Society of Iowa’s tree at Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!

BySuzanne Hull

Self-Help International – CDM 2025 Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction Participant

Self-Help International’s tree theme is a celebration of maize. Corn isn’t just a vital part of Iowa’s economy; it is an important crop around the world, feeding millions and people and animals every day. Quality Protein Maize (QPM), which has 90% of the nutritional value of skim milk, has been a cornerstone of Self-Help International’s programs since 1989, when we were invited by native Iowan and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug to introduce the grain to Ghana. Today, with the help of Self-Help International’s agricultural training and support, QPM grown by communities in Ghana and Nicaragua has both higher yield and more nutritional value, alleviating hunger and enabling families to meet their needs with dignity.

Why did our organization choose to participate in the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction?

  • As an Iowa-based nonprofit with a global mission, Self-Help International is grateful to partner with Christkindlmarket Des Moines for the opportunity to engage with the Central Iowa community and bring attention to how we are helping people help themselves in Ghana and Nicaragua.

How will the CDM Nonprofit Tree Silent Auction funds benefit our organization?

  • In 1989, at the request of native Iowan and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, Self-Help International introduced Quality Protein Maize (QPM) to our programs. QPM has 90% of the nutritional value of skim milk, and has been instrumental in alleviating hunger in Ghana and Nicaragua. Today, with the help of Self-Help International’s agricultural training and support, Quality Protein Maize (QPM) grown by communities in Ghana and Nicaragua has both higher yield and more nutritional value to better feed families. In Ghana, QPM is also a vital part of both our School Feeding Program, which feeds 1,500 school children a daily breakfast, and our Growing Healthy Food, Growing Healthy Children program, which is reducing stunting in young children who live in rural Ghana. Donations help us alleviate hunger by enabling families to meet their needs with dignity.

Check out Self-Help International’s tree at Christkindlmarket Des Moines December 4th – December 7th, 2025!