If your house is like our house, the conversation started in July: what do you want to be for Halloween?

Almost as big as my kids’ imaginations is the pile of costumes and dress-ups we have accumulated in our playroom. Many of which don’t quite fit anymore… but are in perfectly good form.

Southampton Middle School’s Erin Acerno wants your no-longer needed costumes to help brighten the day of youth experiencing homelessness in Harford County. She’s spearheading the “Halloween Haunt-Me-Downs” project for We Cancerve Movement, Inc. 

The project is collecting new and gently-used Halloween costumes for children of all ages who currently live in transitional housing programs for homeless families and homeless shelters like Anna’s House in Bel Air, Harford Family House in Aberdeen and the Eastside Family Emergency Shelter in Rosedale. The community is invited to drop off costumes until October 21, which builds in just enough time to sort through the collection and deliver them to area shelters.

One drop of location is Tiny Toes in Bel Air — and their sweetening the fun with 15% off one item for every person donating a costume.

Haunt Me Downs

“This project is important to me because Halloween is a fun time of year for kids and all children should be able to enjoy it as an exciting part of their childhood memories no matter what circumstances they are in. All kids should just be allowed to feel ‘normal,’” said Erin, a rising 7th grader. “I think it’s especially meaningful to homeless kids because they are in an awful situation where they often feel left out or different from other kids. If they can have a nice costume like everyone else, they can relate to the other kids better and not feel like an outsider because they’re homeless.”
 
Donations are being accepted at:
 
Tiny Toes boutique in downtown Bel Air
 
The We Cancerve Movement is a nonprofit organization that creates giving opportunities that can be supported by the community to bring happiness to homeless, sick and foster children. In 2016, We Cancerve Movement, Inc. was named an Honor Rows recipient by M&T Bank, the Baltimore Ravens and the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism for their community service. The organization is run by an all-youth board of directors.
 
For more information, please contact the We Cancerve Movement, Inc., at peoplewhocare@wecancerve.org.