HAMBURG, N.Y. — A Group focused on providing their community with free clothing, is collecting and giving away free Halloween costumes.
Village Engaged is located below St. James United Church of Christ on Main Street in Hamburg.
As an organization made up completely of volunteers, their main goal is providing their community with essential needs and also hosting fun events and clubs to bring the community together.
The community closet is a passion project of director, Mallory Russo. They collect donations of gently used clothes. Anyone is welcome to come and "shop" the closet for free.
"It is free clothing that is available to anybody, no questions asked. It's great condition clothing, the primary purpose of it is to provide an essential need, but also, to do the recycling part of it" Russo said.
Russo and the other directors saw a need in the community for Halloween costumes, encouraging people to go through their homes and donate any they may want to share. Russo said they are happy to help out families, especially as the cost of costumes continues to go up.
Russo said, "Halloween costumes oftentimes end up in your attic, or in a bin in the basement. We wanted to be able to give them a second life. and they are expensive too, so if we can provide that at no cost, it's something we are happy to do,".
Village Engaged is always accepting donations, they can take any clothing on their open shop dates and also accept monetary donations.
On their website they have a list of donation guidelines as well. Russo said, "We do ask that items are odor free, stain free, rip free, so if you wouldn't wear it, please don't donate it to us,".
Looking to go "shop" for a Halloween Costume or just freshen up your wardrobe? The next community shop day is Saturday October 26th.