By Brent Palmer
Published: Oct. 12, 2024 at 11:29 PM EDT
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -SENT Topeka hosted its Annual Halloween Costume Collection and Giveaway event Saturday Oct. 12, at their shared location with Hi-Crest Church.
“We collect new and gently used costumes throughout the month of September from our community, and then we set them up so families can come and shop and pick out a free costume,” said Tricia Sublet of SENT. During the week, she acts as the Mental Health Specialist of the organization.
This event allows families from underserved communities to participate in Halloween without breaking the bank.
“So it’s really awesome for families to be able to find a costume because we’ve learned that July and October are the months that families sometimes can’t pay all their bills,” said Tricia. “They’re holiday months, and they want to be able to enjoy holidays as a family, and not have to miss out on those really fun traditions.”
This event was also educational, teaching children about their mental health.
“So in addition to picking out a costume, we also set up a mental health wellness fair for kids. So kids can visit eight different stations and learn different strategies, like coping strategies and ways to promote healthy mental wellness,” said Tricia.
SENT also offered free flu shots and opened its pantry. This event showed SENT’s commitment to one of its core values, redistribution.
“Costumes are one of those deals, they’re kind of like toilet paper,” said Johnathan Sublet, the Interim Executive Director and Founder of SENT. “It’s one-time use a lot of times. We don’t wear costumes over and over again. And so if we don’t share that, then we waste that. And so, we believe that true community transformation happens when we share our resources, our relationships, and our platforms.”
Events like this have helped change the Hi-Crest neighborhood, as SENT aims to impact other neighborhoods as well.
“Continuing to offer opportunities like this, where families in underresourced neighborhoods don’t always feel like they have to leave their community to be part of the ‘Good thing’ is incredibly important. Because this is no longer the dirty South, this is the new South,“ said Johnathan.
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https://www.wibw.com/2024/10/13/local-community-organization-hosts-halloween-costume-giveaway/