The idea of giving away costumes came to me after I moved into my first house in Austin in 2016 and started getting trick-or-treaters. I saw children in nice Star Wars and Toy Story costumes. But I also saw them with torn shirts and what seemed like a longing, a wishing. Halloween can be an equalizer. I wanted to make sure that every child had the chance to dress up and be anybody.

At the time, I was working as a mystery shopper who evaluated resale stores. I decided to buy some things, adapt them and hold a free yard sale before the following Halloween. I bought $1,500 worth of stuff for about $40 at Goodwill Central Texas. In September, I hung 50 or 60 costumes in my garage. People came and took all of them. The biggest thing I remember is the laughter of kids and their parents.

The next year I was living in a different neighborhood. I added props and more costumes, and I told more people. Since then, it’s grown every year. In 2023, I turned it into a nonprofit called October’s Child, and that September we used half a football-sized field for our donations. We’ve now given away almost 7,000 costumes, plus makeup, pumpkin-carving sets, even pet costumes. Volunteers help out, and we get donations from across the country. We don’t ask whether families are needy, though I suspect many of them are. The point is to make Halloween magical for every kid.

I think it’s important for people to do what they can for their community. You don’t have to be rich. You just have to put your heart and soul into something. If you do, a tiny ripple can grow into waves. —As told to Bridgette Reilly