Spooktacular Service Projects for a Compassionate Halloween

We are all big Halloween groupies at Roots & Shoots. I began hearing Halloween songs play in the office as early as mid September and if asked, I wouldn’t confirm it but it might have been me who was playing them! 

My favorite memories of October include watching the leaves turn, feeling the weather grow colder, pumpkins making their way to the market and then reading all the great Halloween Roots & Shoots service projects that begin to roll in. Below are a few of my favorites. I challenge all of our creative young members to conjure up their own ghoolish good projects between now and Halloween! Below are a few of my favorite projects that  you have submitted. 

The first is a project by the Planet Savers. They collected over 200 Halloween costumes to donate and threw a big Halloween party for LA Family Housing. This project not only had a wonderful impact on all the youth they gave fun Halloween memories, but in collecting and donating used costumes they highlighted something we should all do a little more often, reusing something that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

The second is a project by Central Middle School. They took a Halloween celebration and married it with an opportunity to highlight a good cause and do some fundraising. Through a Halloween party hosted on campus, they raised $12,000 to buy a well for a village in Mali.

This week, I will follow in the footsteps of the Roots & Shoots Planet Savers and donating all my old Halloween costumes. There is still time for you to do the same! This year, compile your costume from used clothing or better yet, build it out of recycled materials! Recycled Robot anyone?

Here are some other opportunities to make a Halloween impact:

• We Scare Halloween - Free the Children
• Eek-o-Halloween - Green Wish