Joseph Pratt
The Salvation Army Portsmouth Corps is currently accepting donations for its annual Halloween benefit that allows families with children to swap old costumes for new ones, making the approaching holiday a financial feasible option for many.
Some of the best childhood memories can originate from donning the latex max of Scream or the helmet of Optimus Prime, becoming ghouls or heroes, and gathering candy. The cost of a Halloween costume can be daunting to some families, especially households with more than one child. Instead of a child being left out of the activities, or having to wear an old costume over, the Salvation Army offers the opportunity for children to trade in their old costumes for something different.
The Salvation Army began welcoming donations of costumes September 28 and has been collecting them all week during business hours. Families who donate costumes are eligible to receive a ticket for one costume on the day of their event this weekend. Costume donations will be accepted up to the actual event, however.
Corps Ministry Assistant Robin Lodwick says the event has multiple benefits, from helping those in need to offering a “green” alternative for old costumes.
“We want to make sure everyone can participate on Halloween,” Lodwick said. “Not every child can afford a costume.”
Lodwick says she lived in the Salvation Army apartment during last year’s event and was involved in organizing it.
“The kids were very excited. Some of these kids don’t get new things and anything they can get new to them is really great,” Lodwick said. “I see eyes light up and kids giggling. It just warms the heart.”
The costume swap will be held between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 3. The costumes are geared for children ages birth to 12.
Costume Swap is a national event that impact thousands of children. For more information, visit www.greenhalloween.org/CostumeSwap
“We do the best we can to serve people and make them happy, as well as show them the love of god,” Lodwick said. “Jesus said to love one another and to do onto others as you would want them to do to you. We would like to think that, if we were down, someone would be there to help us off the streets and give us something to look forward to. Everyone who comes through our doors, whether it is for the costume swap or for our free meals, I hope they feel like they’ve been treated with love.”
For more information, reach an official at the Salvation Army 740-353-2400.
Reach Joseph Pratt at 740-353-3101, ext. 1932, or by Twitter @JosephPratt03.
