The season of giving is alive in Goleta, where hand-knit scarves, hats, and gloves are popping up at bus stops and public spaces — each tagged with a simple message: “Take me if you need me or like me. Happy Holidays.”
It’s all part of “Chase the Chill,” a grassroots winter project led by the Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Now in its third year, the campaign gathers hundreds of donated handmade and store-bought items and distributes them to people experiencing homelessness or in need of a little warmth.
“We’re a regular denomination,” said Carolyn Chaney, who organizes the effort. “The basis of Unitarian Universalism is love. Be loving toward people.”
Volunteers from the congregation — along with groups like the Santa Barbara Craftivists and Goodland Yarn in Goleta — spend weeks knitting, crocheting, and collecting gear.
“These are made by community members,” Chaney said. “There’s a gal dropping off eight more hats at the church today. They just hear about us and start knitting.”
Distribution began this week and continues through Saturday, December 13, with scheduled drop-offs at food banks, safe-parking programs, Showers of Blessing, and multiple community spaces in Goleta and Isla Vista, including Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, St. Michael’s University Church, St. Athanasius Orthodox Church, and Anisq’Oyo Park.
“I’ve hung scarves on homeless people myself,” said Chaney. “And when you see a homeless woman’s eyes get bright as you put a beautiful scarf around her neck — she feels pretty. It really brightens people’s day.”
And for some, it’s a handmade piece of clothing to help keep the chill out. “People just walk by or hang out by the community center and take what they need,” she said. “It’s cold. People need warmth. That’s all this is.”
For more information, email Carolyn Chaney, cchaney@sfsu.edu.
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