Yum Yum Gyros & More, a small Mediterranean and Greek restaurant in Canyon Lake, Texas, is bringing back its Giving Tree for the 2026 holiday season. Owner Kimmie Proper started the program last year, helping 17 local families, many with multiple children. The Giving Tree allows customers and community partners to select a name and contribute gifts for families identified through local schools.
Last year, as Christmas approached, a few children’s tags remained on the tree. Proper used her own limited means to buy additional gifts so every child would have a present. She ended up with extra gifts, which went to Mountain Valley Middle School to distribute to students who might otherwise have been overlooked. “It takes a community, which is kind of the entire idea of Saint Nicholas,” Proper said.
This year, Proper expects the need to grow. Business has been slower, and winter is historically difficult for Canyon Lake-area businesses. She is enlisting the community’s help to meet the demand. “It takes a community, and that’s what we are here in Canyon Lake,” she said. “People are just tighter here; we help each other out when in need.”
The Giving Tree stands alongside a menu of homemade Mediterranean and Greek comfort food. Customer favorites include traditional gyros with seasoned meat, fresh vegetables, and in-house tzatziki in warm pita. Proper’s hummus comes in roasted red pepper, feisty feta, dill, and pesto versions, or whatever she concocts that day. The kitchen also serves salads, specialty pizzas, falafel, and baklava. Soups, which come with garlic-butter pita, are a surprising draw. “I sell out of my hot soups in the dead of summer,” Proper said. Varieties such as chicken pot pie, broccoli cheddar, potato, chili, and taco soup appear without a set schedule. “You’ll never know what I’ll think of next,” she said.
Proper’s philosophy of supporting local drives both her food and her charity work. “Supporting local is why I’m constantly thinking about where I’m spending my money,” she said. Community members can participate in the Giving Tree by selecting a name and contributing gifts. The restaurant is located at 1408 Sattler Road in Canyon Lake. For hours, menu details, and Giving Tree information, visit yumyumgyros.com. More stories about the people building Texas are available at buildingtexasshow.com.
The Giving Tree highlights how rural small businesses can serve as anchors for holiday giving, turning neighbors into a support network. As Proper put it, “I don’t need much.” For her, keeping the lights on and buying more presents would be Christmas enough.
