Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter
It is almost the time of year when little ones gear up to dress like superheroes, princesses, witches or goblins.
Nampa/Northern Sunrise County Family and Community Support Services has a program to help you dress your children in their favourite costumes this Halloween. The annual Halloween Costume Swap helps parents find a new costume for their children without breaking the bank.
“We understand that not all families can afford to buy new Halloween costumes, but their children will likely want something new to dress in each year,” says FCSS director Amber Houle.
“Our Halloween Costume Swap allows families to donate their gently-used costumes. Kids can then come into the office to pick out their own costume.”
The costume drop-off will be open this year for an extended period of time, allowing people more time to swap their articles of clothing.
“We decided to open both the costume drop and swap this year from Oct. 1 to Oct. 30,” says Houle.
“There will certainly be more options closer to Halloween, but it will give extra time to both donate and pick up costumes,” she adds.
The costume drop-off will be made available at the Nampa FCSS office where people can drop off their gently-used Halloween costumes to be rehomed and loved by a new little trick-or-treater.
“Halloween is such a fun and magical time for children, it’s a great time to allow their imaginations to take flight,” Houle says.
“The Halloween Costume Swap makes it possible for families to donate previously worn costumes and for families to acquire new-to-them costumes at no cost. Halloween should be accessible to any child that wants to participate.”
Houle says the swap is a great opportunity for families to reuse and repurpose costumes and will allow low-income families to enjoy Halloween without added financial burdens.
For more information on the program, please phone (780) 322-3954.