Canyon Lake's Yum Yum Gyros & More is bringing back its Giving Tree for the 2026 holiday season, aiming to assist local families in need. Owner Kimmie Proper started the initiative last year, helping 17 families, many with multiple children, by collecting gift requests from Mountain Valley Middle School. When some children's tags remained unclaimed as Christmas approached, Proper personally purchased additional gifts to ensure every child received a present. "It takes a community, which is kind of the entire idea of Saint Nicholas," Proper said. Her efforts also yielded extra gifts that were distributed by the school to students who might otherwise have been overlooked.
This year, with business slower and winter historically challenging for Canyon Lake-area businesses, Proper anticipates a larger list of families needing assistance. She is calling on the community to help. "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 is set up at the restaurant, where customers can select a name and contribute gifts while enjoying a menu of homemade Mediterranean and Greek comfort food. Popular items include traditional gyros with seasoned meat, fresh vegetables, and in-house tzatziki, as well as hummus in varieties like roasted red pepper, feisty feta, dill, and pesto. The kitchen also serves salads, specialty pizzas, falafel, and baklava. Proper's soups, such as chicken pot pie, broccoli cheddar, potato, chili, and taco soup, are a surprising favorite, often selling out even in summer.
Proper's philosophy of supporting local extends beyond food. "Supporting local is why I'm constantly thinking about where I'm spending my money," she said. That mindset drives both her business and her charity work. Community partners and customers are invited to participate in the Giving Tree by selecting a name and contributing gifts. Proper's philanthropic heart is one of many in Canyon Lake that strengthen community bonds and turn strangers into friends. The Building Texas Show encourages readers to visit the Sattler and Canyon Lake area and support local businesses like Proper's, noting that rural small businesses are anchors of their communities and can anchor holiday giving, too. To take part in the Giving Tree, visit Yum Yum Gyros & More at 1408 Sattler Road, call 830-832-8838, or go to yumyumgyros.com. More stories about the people building Texas are at buildingtexasshow.com.
