09/19/2025
OPERATION SPREAD THE JOY is the perfect name for one of Deer Lodge’s newest nonprofits. Its two leaders, mother and daughter team Amy and Alexa Wood are bursting with love and enthusiasm for Deer Lodge, Powell County, and the world at large.
Not quite one year old – Operation Spread the Joy was founded in October 2024 when a group of young women gathered during the Alive After Five event to discuss the question “Where are the Giving Trees?”
Giving Trees are a tradition in which a community Christmas tree is decorated with tags that contain the Christmas lists of local children. Donors choose a tag from the tree and purchase the items which are subsequently wrapped and delivered on Christmas. The trees hadn’t been around for a while.
With their eyes set on the upcoming Christmas season, the inspired duo launched Operation Spread the Joy with the intent of bringing back the Giving Trees. Through the application/nomination process the team carefully identifies the needs, wants, and interests of the children. “We want the gifts to be intentional,” explained Alexa.
With boots on the ground and through word-of-mouth, Amy and Alexa raised funds to support their first project. The community was incredibly generous, and the new organization was able to fulfill every single item on their first Giving Tree. If a tag was not completed, they bought the rest of it. They wrapped 700 gifts. “It was a small-town feat,” stated Amy. But then it just blossomed.
“I want the community I had as a child,” said Alexa. And that goes beyond the Giving Trees. Spread the Joy’s mission is to “uplift our community through compassionate support; inspiring growth, understanding, and connection.”
Shortly after their incorporation Amy started receiving phone calls about families in crisis. Thus began a new wing of their mission: Emergency Family Assistance. Faced with crises such as domestic violence or a housefire, families often flee “with nothing but the clothes on their backs,” said Amy. Her group is quick to provide support in the form of groceries, clothing, and essential items. They also have a huge list of resources to share.
The organization is also looking to provide scholarships for students going into Trade Schools. Amy and Alexa feel there is a need to support students who are not going to traditional four-year colleges. Alexa herself went to Culinary Arts School. But she sees her calling as more than owning or working at a restaurant. “Food is about people,” she said. “I don’t serve food; I serve hearts.”
Alexa worked as a chef for Camp Mak-A-Dream. But now, she and Amy are turning their attention to providing Free Holiday Community Dinners: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
Operation Spread the Joy is hosting A Traditional Mennonite Meal next Friday, September 26th to raise funds for this project. They are hoping to serve 200 dinners. This Sunday is the deadline to reserve. See the attached flyers for the complete menu and details about how to make reservations.
None of this was accomplished without the support of the community. “We’ve received so many donations,” said Amy. Three local businesses have provided the food for the upcoming meal. And a fundraiser earlier this summer was overwhelmingly successful.
Amy credits the success of her new organization to her amazing board, which is spread throughout Montana and Idaho. Operation Spread the Joy knows no borders and is on target to becoming a regional entity of the Pacific Northwest.
How can you be a part of this amazing machine? See the attached flyers for more information and visit their website https://operationspreadthejoy.org/ In the meantime, sign up for comfort food at the upcoming dinner, aptly named “Joy Around the Table.”
This story is sponsored by Disney Themed Dinner Nights at Cutler Bros. Theatre https://www.facebook.com/events/1121845906066035
