Celebrating Halloween should not be a kid’s “privilege”, it should be a kid’s “right”.
Let’s face it: Halloween costumes aren’t cheap. While some costumes can be easily created with items many households have at home, most costumes come with a - for some families hefty - price tag.
Do you have Halloween costumes your child has outgrown of and that you'd like to donate? Or are you struggling to “pay the price of Halloween”? Costume Connections can help.
Costume Connections
Holidays can be a stressful time of year - even more so for those struggling to make ends meet. While Halloween may seem like a trivial "holiday", the children who are unable to participate in school parades and trick-or-treating are often left with feelings of exclusion and shame.
For these families, our goal is to eliminate the burden of making a decision whether to pay a bill or to buy Halloween costumes for their children, and to give these kids a real shopping experience and a costume they will be excited and proud to wear.
Costume Connections collects new and gently used Halloween costumes, cleans them up, and invites children of low income families to come to their pop-up shops and events in and around Austin and shop for their free Halloween costume.
How Costume Connections started
It all started with a little costume drive that turned into much, much more. Michelle Burns, founder of Costume Connections, is a busy mom, Realtor and community activist. For the past few years, she has been collecting and redistributing Halloween costumes on her own - 10 one year, 20 the next.
In 2016, she decided she'd create a post in a community group on social media and was instantly inundated with responses from people with costumes to donate. With Katrina O'Grady's gracious offer of using her home as a drop-off center and Angie Lopez stepping in to refashion, embellish and merchandise, Costume Connections was born.
In 2017, Costume Connection, Inc was formed as a Texas non-profit corporation, attained IRS 501(c)(3) status.
How you can help
Costume donations & costume drop off locations
Costume Connections collects new and gently used costumes for children of all ages. Costumes can be dropped off at the following locations:
Austin
South - Dittmar Recreation Center, 1009 W. Dittmar Road
Central - Hancock Recreation Center, 811 E. 41st Street
North West - Pickfair Community Center, 10904 Pickfair Drive
Round Rock
Clay Madsen Recreation Center, 1600 Gattis School Road
Pflugerville
West Pecan Coffee + Beer, 100 W Pecan St.
Baskin-Robbins, 1552 Farm to Market 685
New costumes for resident children of Dell Children's hospital
Costume Connections is beyond thrilled to announce our partnership with Dell children's hospital. Costume Connections will now be giving Halloween costumes to the resident children of Dell Children's hospital and their siblings.
Because of the tender systems of these amazing kiddos, all of these costumes must be brand new. If you're able to, please consider donating new Halloween costumes to Costume Connections for these kiddos. Costumes can be dropped off at above drop-off locations.
Monetary donations
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and enrich the lives of children and families in our community. Your generous donation will be used toward new costumes and supplies needed to refresh donated costumes, as well as any fees related to costume collection and distribution events. *Costume Connection, Inc. Is staffed by volunteers and the Directors do not collect a salary.
Donate here.
Upcoming pop-up shops and events
If you're in need of Halloween costumes for your children, visit one of the pop-up shops in around Austin:
Austin
South - Dittmar Recreation Center, 1009 W. Dittmar Road
Central - Hancock Recreation Center, 811 E. 41st Street
North West - Pickfair Community Center, 10904 Pickfair Drive
OCTOBER 2nd ONLY @ Kendra Scott at The Domain, 11506 Century Oaks Terrace #104
Round Rock
Monster Mini Golf & Laser Tag, 3916 Gattis School Road
OCTOBER 5th ONLY @ Round Rock Market Days, Centennial Plaza, Downtown Round Rock, 301 W Bagdad Avenue
Stay tuned for more dates and locations.
Happy Halloween, y'all!
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