Let’s face it– Halloween is truly a superior holiday. The décor can be either cute and charming or terrifying and gruesome (and either way, it’s awesome), people are suddenly offering you mini candy bars everywhere you turn, the weather might decide to finally start cooling down a pinch, you’re under no obligation to travel great distances to visit family you may or may not enjoy being with, and– the most fun of all– people of all ages are not only allowed but enthusiastically encouraged to go out and roam their neighborhoods and cities while dressed up in their most creative costumes. And sure, you can spend a lot of money to buy prefab outfits from the holiday section of your local big-box chain store, but where’s the fun and originality in that?
Shopping secondhand is the way to go for a truly unique look. All of our local Goodwill locations are fully geared up for Halloween. And, as a bonus, shopping at Goodwill supports the organization’s mission to create career pathways out of poverty, with 86 cents out of every dollar spent there going to that mission. Plus, they’ve just launched a costume contest that’ll earn one lucky winner a super spooky shopping spree.
Head over to the Goodwill of Middle Georgia Facebook page –facebook.com/GoodwillWorks/ – and find the Halloween contest post. In the comments, post a picture of yourself wearing one of your favorite costumes from a past Halloween. On October 15, Goodwill will randomly pick a winner to receive a $50 gift certificate to purchase this year’s costume, and they also plan to shoot a fun video of the shopping spree in action.
Even if you don’t win the contest, Goodwill should still be first on your list for all your Halloween shopping needs. “We have new items too, and I encourage people not to wait until the last minute to shop,” says Christine Butler, Director of Donated Goods at Goodwill of Middle Georgia. “We are very impressed by the creativity and imagination of our Halloween shoppers. From costumes to crafts to décor, it’s fun to see ideas come alive at Goodwill.”
For inspiration, visit goodwill.org/halloween/, and for a list of local store locations and operating hours, visit GoodwillWorks.org