All Treats, No Tricks
Harvest help in your community
There’s fun to be had for the whole family during Halloween. It’s a great time to celebrate together, share stories and play. As the season turns, do a good turn for your community and help make sure everyone has a happy and healthy Halloween.
Keep horrors out of houses
With countless children walking through the dark, Halloween is one night when much of the community gives special thought to neighborhood safety. But for some people, scary scenarios are a nightly reality. You can do something by starting a Neighborhood Watch. This age-old program is one of the most effective in preventing crime and a great way to rally your community.
Even in the safest areas, some people dwell in a real-life house of horrors. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is on call 24/7.
You can also improve your community’s houses and help out a neighbor who may need a hand. Whether it’s changing a lightbulb, raking the yard or providing some company, you can be of great help to the seniors in your community. Bring the kids!
While you’re around the house, make sure the homes near you are prepared for natural disasters. FEMA even provides free online training!
Clear the cobwebs from your craft kit
Show off your spooky spirit by getting crafty. No matter your skill level, it’s fun to get creative with crafts — and it doesn’t take an expert to help kids do the same. Propose a costume-making day to your local school or community center, or have the kids decorate their trick-or-treating sacks. All it takes is a canvas or pillowcase, a few art supplies and some imagination!
And Halloween decorating isn’t complete without some jack-o-lanterns. There are plenty of pumpkin stencils and templates out there for easy use. Just be sure to teach and practice safe knife handling with the kids.
Arrange for a festive fundraiser
A festive Halloween blast is a good opportunity to bring the whole community together and help a good cause. Enlist a local band to play favorites like the Monster Mash. Call on those with culinary talents to bake apple pies and cobblers from the season’s harvest and sell them to sweet-toothed neighbors. Collect the proceeds and donate them to a worthy cause in your area. And don’t forget to have your community members show up in costume!
Of course, Halloween is the ideal time to read scary stories around a bonfire. Have kids choose their favorites, then collect the community’s old books (scary or not)—and make it a book drive.
The sweetness of service There’s nothing like volunteering to change your community for the better. Find more inspiration and get started today!
