COEUR d'ALENE - The first thing 9-year-old Garrett Walcker did after he walked into the Holiday Inn Express and Suites was turn around and look at the Christmas tree, trimmed and glowing in the hotel lobby.

On Christmas, Santa will swing by the lobby and give Garrett and his family gifts, but Garrett doesn't know that part yet.

It was all about the tree at check in.

"He couldn't believe how big it was," mother Destinee Walcker said, shaking her head in disbelief.

One month ago, Walcker, an unemployed certified nurse, was losing her apartment.

This week, she'll be celebrating the holiday with her son and boyfriend at the hotel thanks to a new program established by Holiday Inn and Family Promise.

"Overwhelmed," Destinee said of her reaction when she learned where her family would spend the week. "We wouldn't be able to provide a Christmas without coming here."

The program, Home for the Holidays, began last year as a way to give underprivileged families a stress-free, memorable Christmas, where meals, rooms and gifts are provided for free.

Family Promise is a nonprofit that helps families stay intact by providing temporary housing and transportation for them as they stabilize their lives. It has housed 54 families since 2008, but reached out to hotels last year to see if something more could be done for them around the holiday.

Holiday Inn Express jumped in, and a new tradition was born.

"It just made a huge impact here on the team," said Jennifer Peat, hotel general manager, on how the staff engaged the families. "Everyone is investing into this, and we will be for a long time."

Like the hotel maintenance engineer, John Rice, who will play Santa on Christmas.

A ham and turkey dinner will be provided on the 25th, with meals provided by other restaurants such as Texas Roadhouse, Fedora Pub and Grille and Mulligan's throughout the week. Activities will keep them busy during the week, too, but the goal is to have the families relax by offering comfort and stability.

It's hard enough losing a home, but it can be twice as trying at Christmas time.

"It's been a big relief," said Christina Van Welt, staying with her 2-year-old daughter and her boyfriend. "I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for Family Promise."

The two families will stay until Tuesday. While enjoying the time away, they'll continue to look for work, said Cindy Wood, Family Promise director. The week in comfort just makes it a little easier.

The tradition will not only continue, it should expand.

A Marriott SpringHill Suites is planned to go up in 2013 adjacent to the Holiday Inn Express, Peat said, and Home for the Holidays is a program the sister hotel will likely adopt.

Both families said, that while help can be hard to ask for, the assistance has been a godsend.

"All the stress and tension from before coming here is gone," Destinee said, sitting in the lobby Wednesday while Garrett prepared to play Wii games. "It makes you relax a lot."