Canyon Lake's Yum Yum Gyros Revives Giving Tree to Support Local Families

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 effort last year, helping 17 local families, many with multiple children, by collecting names from Mountain Valley Middle School. When a few children's tags remained close to Christmas, Proper bought additional gifts herself so every child would have a present. She also ended up with extra gifts, which went to the school to distribute to students who might otherwise have been overlooked.

This year, with business slower and winter historically harder on Canyon Lake-area businesses, Proper expects the list of families in need to grow. She is enlisting the community's help, saying, “It takes a community, and that's what we are here in Canyon Lake. That's why I live here. People are just tighter here; we help each other out when in need.” The Giving Tree sits alongside a menu rooted in homemade Mediterranean comfort food, including traditional gyros with in-house tzatziki, house-made hummus in rotating flavors like roasted red pepper, feisty feta, dill and pesto, plus salads, specialty pizzas, falafel, baklava and soups served with garlic-butter pita. Proper's soups—chicken pot pie, broccoli cheddar, potato, chili and taco soup—are a surprising favorite, often selling out even in summer.

The initiative matters because rural small businesses like Yum Yum Gyros & More serve as economic and social anchors in their communities. By turning holiday giving into a collaborative effort, Proper is not only feeding bodies but also strengthening the local safety net. The restaurant's philosophy of supporting local extends to its food and charity work, and customers can participate by selecting a name from the Giving Tree and contributing gifts.

For those interested in supporting the Giving Tree or trying the food, more information is available at yumyumgyros.com. Stories about the people building Texas can be found at buildingtexasshow.com. The restaurant is located at 1408 Sattler Road in Canyon Lake.