There’s a ‘giving tree’ on Columbia’s Main Street, and it’s pretty warm and fuzzy

The craftiest and happiest-looking street in downtown Columbia also might be the most generous – which is a blessing for folks in need as the weather finally cools down.

You’ve probably noticed the brightly sweatered trees and lampposts along the 1500 and 1600 blocks of Main Street thanks to the “Yarnbombers of Columbia.”

But one of those colorful trees is particularly special.

“Take one if you need it. Leave one if you can,” reads a sign beside a tree outside of Mast General Store and The Nickelodeon Theatre, where knit and crocheted scarves and hats – and sometimes other goodies – hang free-for-the-taking from branches.

The inspiration for the “giving tree” came from a homeless man who last year borrowed the knitted ruffles from one of the yarn-bombed trees to make himself a scarf, said Rachel Giglio, a member of the Yarnbombers group.

“Instead of just warming up the trees, we’re warming up some people, too,” said Giglio, who started the “giving tree” by hanging nine scarves, 12 hats and a half dozen or so pairs of handwarmers on the tree back in late July.

Even though cold weather was still months away at that time, the tree was cleared within a couple weeks, Giglio said.

Since then, local knitters and crocheters have tried to keep the tree restocked. And other folks have been leaving more than just yarn garments at the tree, from toiletries to food gift cards, Giglio said.

Turnover on the tree has been pretty quick, she said.

The Oliver Gospel Mission is right around the corner from the giving tree, and Transitions homeless shelter is a few blocks north.

“I know of communities that definitely discourage taking care of homeless people in this way because they don’t want them hanging around, and I think that’s a horrible way to go about it,” Giglio said. “It shows a real generous spirit and a willingness to care for the less fortunate.”

A few people have complained about the tree, said Jeremy Becraft, general manager of Mast General Store. But he said he welcomes both the giving tree and the colorful yarn bombing all along Main Street.

“I think you’ve got a lot of people down on Main Street that, if you need a helping hand, they’d be happy to give it to you,” Becraft said. “We’ve worked really hard to make downtown a place where people can enjoy themselves and spend time, and I think the yarn bombing was something that just made the Main Street district a more colorful place to spend time.”

The yarn-bombing project will stay up on Main Street through the end of October, Giglio said. But she hopes the giving tree can remain there indefinitely.

Anyone can contribute to or take from the giving tree. If you’re interested in the Yarnbombers of Columbia group, you can join them on Facebook.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 11:57 AM with the headline "There’s a ‘giving tree’ on Columbia’s Main Street, and it’s pretty warm and fuzzy."