No, those scarves, gloves and hats that may be found scattered at different places in Washington from Valentine’s Day through Feb. 21 are not lost items.

They’ve been placed at specific locations in the city for two reasons: first, to provide warm clothing for area residents, and, second, to help raise awareness of area hospice services.

The project — endorsed by the City Council during its meeting Monday — is being managed by Community Hospice and the Beaufort County Department of Social Services. The items hang from trees at Festival Park, Havens Gardens and across from Bill’s Hot Dogs in front of the Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center. The items will be hung Friday, according to Amy Brewer, hospice care coordinator with Community Hospice, and Lori Leggett, supervisor of the Department of Social Services’ adult and aging unit.

Each item on the trees will carry this label: “I am not lost. If you need me, please take me. Warmly, Community Hospice & DSS.” Anyone may take an item. Leftover items will be distributed to the area’s homeless and low-income housing residents.

The two explained the project to the council, saying a similar one conducted by a business in Pennsylvania provided the impetus for the local project.

“It’s really awareness. We thought we’d bring something like this here. A lot of times when people hear the word ‘hospice,’ they have an immediate feeling of death; there’s a stigma that I constantly try to get people past,” Brewer said. “Hospice is about living. It’s not about dying.”

Brewer said when it comes to learning about hospice services, many area families are afraid to “walk in, they’re not sure what to do, they’re intimidated, they don’t know. There’s a stigma behind that. … We (Community Hospice and DSS) partner together to help provide wonderful resources in the home. A lot of times we work together. We work separately. We call each other when we need each other. We’re trying to let the community know that we are wonderful resources.”

Community Hospice and DSS workers have donated many scarves, hats and gloves for the project, she said.

“We just want to help,” Brewer said.

Leggett also addressed the council.

“The project is targeted to the homeless and the low-income, but I know that you all see that we do have homeless in our community that do need these items. We want to get the word out to them that these things are free and that they are for them to take,” Leggett said.

For more information about the project or hospice services, contact Community Hospice (222 Stewart Parkway, Washington) by calling 252-946-0312 or the Department of Social Services (632 W. Fifth St., Washington) by calling 252-975-5500.