Byron Rosenberger, job coordinator for Genesis House, was putting the finishing touches Tuesday on wooden racks that will hold up the Christmas trees that will be for sale at Benicia Historical Museum beginning Friday.

It’s the fifth year of the annual fundraiser that supports both Benicia Historical Museum and Genesis House, a residential treatment facility in Vallejo for those recovering from substance abuse. And it has been a big success for both.

“It will look like a little forest,” Rosenberger said. He mentioned putting a decorated Christmas tree on top of the trailer that will be used by Genesis House members who will stay on the lot to keep an eye on the trees.

Rosenberger has been a part of Genesis House for 17 years, including his time there for treatment. The program, founded by John Novads in 1972, is designed to last nine to 11 months, but Rosenberger says the average stay is about 13 months.

“We’re residential treatment, we’re coed. We provide a save environment for people to get their lives together,” he said.

Though Genesis House and the museum have partnered on the tree sale for five years, their association goes back much further.

“We’ve had a long history with the Benicia Historical Society, and several other directors,” Rosenberger said. “We’ve provided labor, we worked on the project for the Spenger Garden. … Early on we provided parking (valet) for events they have had here.

“They thought it was a really good fit, our agencies and theirs, and (they said) let’s have a Christmas tree lot, so we decided to do it, and it’s been going strong ever since,” he said.

Museum Director Elizabeth d’Huart said fewer trees were ordered this year because “we have a shorter retail season because Thanksgiving comes so late. We decided it would be better to sell out than have leftover Christmas trees.”

The trees themselves, a variety of Nordman, noble and Douglas firs, are from a SERF (Socially and Environmentally Responsible Farm) certified farm in Oregon. They are “quality trees,” d’Huart said.

“After having done my research, it turns out that that that’s not just an adjective that we use loosely, it actually applies to the trees,” she said. “Quality” trees conform to certain standards of ratio from base to tip, and they have to have equally distributed branches.

Trees cost from $29 to $129. Rosenberg said they can be delivered locally for a $10 fee.

The Benicia Historical Museum’s Christmas tree lot, open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Friday, is on the museum campus, 2060 Camel Road. Those interested may call 707-745-5435 or visit www.beniciahistoricalmuseum.org.

For more information about Genesis House, visit www.genesis-house.com.