The Giving Tree

How The Tree Was Planted

The Giving Tree idea sprouted from a video about a ‘Wall of Kindness’ movement in Iran. Two local farmers from Friendly Critters Farm and The Mighty Notch Farm saw this and wanted to bring a ‘Wall of Kindness’ to Fort Collins. FoCo Cafe was the first and only place to come to mind for several reasons. The Cafe caters to people from all walks of life, some that need and some that can afford to give – this is the idea behind ‘The Giving Tree’. The Cafe brings the community together in what feels like ‘neutral ground’ where there are no labels, there are no distinctions between age, race, socioeconomic status, or any other ‘label’ you might think of. Here, we come to eat healthy, local, sustainability harvested food and build community. That is why it felt like the perfect place to plant The Tree!

The founders of the Cafe were on board with the idea right away and helped make it come to life right away. It took one weekend and about 10 volunteers to get this little tree up and running. The ideas of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle were a MUST for the farms sponsoring and coordinating the build of the tree. They gathered pallets and paints that were in their garages and went to Eco Thrift to look for materials. It came together pretty much ‘as we went along’ with a conceptual plan that kept getting tweaked.

The Giving Tree has been a success! We depend on the public as it is fueled by members of our community and always needs refilling! That means that our community feels comfortable enough stopping by and helping themselves. Community members have made nice donations and The Tree has blossomed into a place where even those who are in need are giving – adding to the feeling of self worth and community building!


Giving Tree items that are continually restocked:

  • deodorant
  • body soap
  • safety razors & shaving cream
  • travel size shampoo & conditioner
  • hand warmers
  • toothbrushes & toothpaste
  • feminine hygiene products
  • travel size first aid boxes
  • individually wrapped snacks

  • hand sanitizer
  • sunscreen
  • lotion
  • tissues
  • wet wipes
  • brushes & combs
  • pocket-sized flash lights
  • shoe laces
  • white calf length socks & underwear


Sponsor a Branch of The Tree

If you are interested in sponsoring and sourcing a specific item for a month, contact info@fococafe.org. We will coordinate with you and set up your name or logo on The Giving Tree for that month.

If you would rather we source an item for you, we have found a company that sells wholesale quantities of needed items so individuals or groups may sponsor a branch for a month. To sponsor a branch with funding rather than collecting items yourself, this can be done in one of three ways:

1. Make a donation for any amount in order to sponsor a branch, or part of a branch. Just go to: PayPal or Colorado Gives. Please make sure to specify that you want your donation to benefit The Giving Tree before submitting your payment. We will purchase the items most in need.

2. Choose a specific branch to sponsor. Just make a donation for the amount specified below, and we will make sure your name appears as a ‘Gardener of the Month’ (for that particular item)’. To make a donation, please go to: PayPal or Colorado Gives. Make sure to specify that you want your donation to fund The Giving Tree before submitting your payment and specify the item you would like to sponsor. Then send us an e-mail with the information you would like shared on our ‘Gardeners of the Month’ boards (this might be your name, company logo, an encouraging message, or perhaps the name of a person your would like to honor or remember).

3. Make a donation in the Cafe’s donation box or mail it to us. Please clearly specify that the gift is for The Giving Tree and, if sponsoring a specific branch, note that information with your donation. When placing the donation and info in the Cafe donation box, an envelope is advised. Mail to FoCo Cafe, PO Box 242, Fort Collins, CO 80522-0242.

Donations needed for each Giving Tree branch to flourish for a month:

  • Shoe laces – $15/month
  • Brushes & combs – $20/month
  • Tissues – $20/month
  • Deodorant – $25/month
  • Flashlights – $25/month
  • First Aid – $30/month
  • Hand warmers – $35/month
  • Razors & shaving cream – $40/month
  • Hand sanitizer & lotion– $45/month

  • Feminine hygiene products – $50/month
  • Shampoo & conditioner – $55/month
  • Body soap & wet wipes – $60/month
  • Socks & underwear – $65/month
  • Dental Branch (Includes Toothbrushes & Toothpaste)- $70/month
  • Sunscreen – $100/month
  • Snacks – $100/month
  • Water Bottles (Reusable)- $100/month

Contact The Giving Tree: info@fococafe.org

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