It’s easy to take the simple joys of Halloween for granted – wearing the costume of your favorite superhero, enjoying delicious sweets, and trick-or-treating with friends are moments children look forward to year after year.

However, for thousands of children across New Jersey, these Halloween traditions are never guaranteed. For these children, Halloween costumes don’t often make the list of essentials in the family budget. Halloween carnivals, trick-or-treating, and the possibility of being your favorite superhero, even for a night, all disappear when you don’t have a costume.

Jersey Cares created the Halloween Costume Drive in 2009 to bring the magic of Halloween to children who regularly miss out on these timeless traditions. Every year since then, Jersey Cares rallies its network of supporters and volunteers to collect new or gently used Halloween costumes for thousands of children represented by public schools, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.  

In 2023, thanks to the selfless dedication of thousands of volunteers, the Halloween Costume Drive achieved a remarkable milestone. A record breaking 5,900 Halloween costumes were distributed to children throughout New Jersey.

“I hope our supporters know how much joy they’ve brought to these kids,” said Gabrielle Centeno, Volunteer Programs Manager at Jersey Cares. “The number of thank you messages I’ve received from parents, educators, and nonprofit leaders has been overwhelming. It melts my heart when they send pictures of their children wearing Halloween costumes with big smiles on their faces.”

Public schools within the city of Newark specifically expressed profound gratitude for the abundance of joy delivered by the Halloween Costume Drive.

“I am so grateful for these costumes each and every year,” said Marquis Goodwin, Parent Liaison for Hawthorne Avenue School. “Trust me, everyone looks forward to getting a costume. I already have parents in my inbox and Facebook waiting to hear when their child can pick one up.”

Marquis and the staff at Hawthorne Avenue School distributed costumes to 250 students who would have otherwise gone without one. Simultaneously, about 10 blocks away from Hawthorne Avenue School, students at Belmont Runyon School were overjoyed to celebrate Halloween wearing costumes of their favorite characters.

“Our students could not be more excited to pick out their costumes”, said Stacy-Ann Lambert, Social Worker at Belmont Runyon School. “Thanks to Jersey Cares we will be giving away costumes to 120 of our students.”

The reach of the Halloween Costume Drive extended far beyond solely the city of Newark, serving children represented by 38 organizations in 13 counties throughout the entire state. Looking ahead to 2024, Jersey Cares is committed to expanding its impact, aiming to bring the joys of Halloween to even more deserving children.

Until then, Jersey Cares invites you to join us in uplifting our New Jersey neighbors this winter through two important initiatives:

• The Jersey Cares Coat Drive (November 8^th – January 7^th) – The Jersey Cares Coat Drive has mobilized the collection and distribution of thousands of new and gently used winter coats to men, women, children, and infants in need. Last year, Jersey Cares collected more than 20,000 coats throughout the state of New Jersey.

• The Jersey Cares Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 13^th – January 15^th) – The Jersey Cares Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service engages people across the state to embody Dr. King’s vision and bring people of all ages and backgrounds together, strengthening their communities and building a stronger New Jersey. Volunteers across the state will come together to honor Dr. King’s legacy through a variety of projects.

Both initiatives play a vital role in supporting children and adults across many aspects of their lives. Click on the respective links to learn more about getting involved in these initiatives or reach out to Evan Lewis at evan@jerseycares.org to learn more. Together, we can continue to make New Jersey a better place to live for each and every one of us.