A Lowe’s store in Surprise, Arizona asked a Christian nonprofit group to leave after corporate caught wind of their fundraising for children in the name of Christ.
According to a social media post, Transformation Treehouse’s approval to fundraise in the store parking lot was rescinded after someone called the corporate store to complain that the word “Christ” was on their tent. The offending canopy in question read, “Christ Loves All Children.”
Tanner Helm, the executive director of Transformation Treehouse and manager for Veteran Solar, issued the post late last week notifying the community of their derailed attempt to fundraise for the children in need in their community.
“Sadly we were kicked off property at the beginning of our day to raise funds for summer camp because we are displaying the name of Christ!” wrote Helm. “Please HELP… every penny makes a difference!”
Transformation Treehouse was fundraising to send children from single parent, foster, and adoptive homes to summer camp. The nonprofit has since launched a GoFundMe with a goal of $2,900.
The nonprofit offers camps to the children with meals provided, traditional camp activities, and team-building games with Scripture teaching and “a spiritual focus on God’s love for all His children as they are.” Activities include an obstacle course challenge, survival skills, leadership development, a rock wall, archery, paintball, and zip line.
Transformation Treehouse offers these camps to junior high and high school children during the summers and winters. Funds raised also go to children who otherwise couldn’t afford other Christian camps, as well as food, school supplies, and Christmas presents in the fall and winter. The nonprofit also offers volunteer opportunities to those former campers who have aged out of camp attendance but would like to remain part of the community.
Problem with the use of Christ’s name came as somewhat of a surprise for the Christian nonprofit and longtime Lowe’s shoppers who read about Transformation Treehouse’s experience online. Lowe’s President and CEO, Marvin Ellison, has been open in interviews about his Christian faith.
However, Ellison has advanced all mainstream progressive ideologies in his time leading the corporation.
In a 2021 interview, Ellison said that he made it a priority in his first months with Lowe’s to bring more ethnic diversity to the company’s top 10 executives. Ellison said having too many white men employed was a “problem.”
“When I arrived at Lowe’s, we looked at the top 10 executives in the company. There was zero ethnic diversity, one female. You fast forward after being here 18 months now almost 50 percent of the team is ethnically diverse and 40-plus percent is female. And so I would love to proclaim that I have these great people selection skills that no one else possessed until I arrived here. The reality of the situation is I showed up, I looked at the people sitting in my staff room staff meeting and said to myself, ‘We have a very diverse customer base: over 50 percent of our customers are female, and a large percent are ethnically diverse. This team looks nothing like our customers, so we’re going to have to fix this problem. […] I met with my head of Human Resources, I met with my executive team and I basically just said, ‘This team does not reflect America, it doesn’t reflect the customers that shop in our stores.’”
Lowe’s Diversity and Inclusion pledge states that “all ideas and perspectives are valued, respected, and given new opportunities to thrive.” The company has special Business Resource Groups exclusively for the disabled, Asian Pacific, Black, Latino, women, veterans, and LGBTQ+. Lowe’s does not offer an individual BRG for Christians, and its latest Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion report makes no mention of religion.
https://x.com/LowesCareers/status/1699014525972856942
