Geneva group helping to costume every child
What if your kindergarten class is having a Halloween party, and you're the only kid there without a costume?
And what if there was no costume because you couldn't afford to buy one?
Project Kids Treating Kids hopes to take care of that this Halloween. It has collected new and used costumes to give to children.
"I think we take for granted that everyone can afford a costume," said Beth Conrad of Geneva, a leader of the Moms in the Mission group at Rejoice! Lutheran Church in the Mill Creek subdivision near Geneva. The group volunteered this week to organize about 240 costumes, including some new.
But if it comes down to $20 for a costume or $20 for food, necessity usually wins.
Wearing a costume to a room party at school, or to go trick-or-treating, "are treasured memories. By doing this, those kids will still have those memories," Conrad said.
"One size fits most? What is that? I mean, seriously," said Becky Smith of Geneva, laughing, as she held up a costume. Other women rummaged through a bin marked "accessories," looking for errant crowns and wands.
There were Spiderman suits, cheerleader outfits, pumpkin outfits for babies and more. (The group does not accept costumes depicting the devil, or promoting violent activities.)
The women bagged and tagged Elmos and apes, princesses and dinosaurs, and put in a flier explaining the project and asking for the costumes to be returned, so other children can enjoy them next year.
Wendy Gruber of St. Charles supplied 90 costumes she collected last year, when she started the effort. Church members donated another 150.
Gruber and her four children volunteer at Lazarus House shelter in St. Charles; they play games and do crafts with the children who live there, and help them do their homework. Last year her daughter Lucy, then 10, was worried that the kids would not have any costumes for Halloween. Later that night, as she was sorting through the costumes her own family had accumulated over the years, Gruber thought, "What am I going to do with these?"
Parents and kids can "shop" for costumes from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Lazarus House, Third and Walnut streets, St. Charles; from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Salvation Army, 1710 S. Seventh Ave., St. Charles; and from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Tri-City Family Services, 1120 Randall Court, Geneva.
People who want to donate costumes, or agencies who know of people who want costumes, should call the church office at (630) 262-0596, or visit http://rejoiceinthemission.org/about-rejoice/newsroom/project-kids-treating-kids.aspx.