Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Nicole Lopez, 6, adds coins to the UNICEF donation jar at a Halloween party at Sunnyvale's Casa De Amigos' clubhouse. The children of the mobile-home park helped to raise approximately $5,000 as part of 'Trick or Treat for UNICEF.'
Children collect for good cause
Instead of candy, children take cash for UNICEF relief fund
By Jana Seshadri
Communities all across the nation celebrated Halloween with a little more caution than usual this year. At the Casa De Amigos mobile-home community, neighborhood residents, including children, gathered for a Halloween party to celebrate the spirit of giving rather than receiving.
"I wanted to teach the children that it is more blessed to give than to receive," said Ann Olsen, the mobile-home community manager. Olsen encouraged children in her community to collect pennies, not candy, from neighbors for a good cause.
The children of this community collected money--mostly pennies and coins--to donate to the United Nations Children's Fund, in order to help underprivileged children all over the world. This year UNICEF has reported that all funds received on Halloween will go toward relief for children in Afghanistan.
"The children collected $5,000, and we will turn over the funds today to UNICEF," said Olsen, who started off the drive with a donation of $500 worth of pennies. Local businesses have added $700.
Some children did not completely understand the reasons for their actions, but they enjoyed adding their collection of coins to the large glass jar and watching it slowly fill to the brim.
Dressed as a cat, 5-year-old Sara Walker turned over her collection of nearly $35 and said she did it so that "other children can eat."
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Noah Tidwell, 3, dressed as Buzz Lightyear, and Jonathan Ferreira, 3, dressed as Sully from Monsters Inc., go trick-or-treating at the clubhouse at Casa De Amigos mobile-home park in Sunnyvale. It's the first year the park management and residents combined their candy to distribute it safely to the children.
But, in accordance with the spirit of Halloween, Olsen also organized a costume party for the neighborhood children and adults. Residents from outside the neighborhood also attended.
"I decided that since there is so much fear around, we will throw a party for the kids right here in our clubhouse," Olsen said.
The clubhouse was filled to capacity with excited children dressed in costumes and toting bags that they filled with candy and treats. Olsen donated about a dozen large bins of candy and all the refreshments. Older residents, who brought their own candy and treats, sat at tables set up along the inside of the clubhouse and distributed the candy to the children. The setup made it so the children would avoid door-to-door trick-or-treating.
"We feel secure that the kids are off the streets," resident Helen Kirby said. "This is just fantastic."
Along with the money collected, the children signed cards that will go to UNICEF and thank-you cards for the local businesses that donated on their behalf.
Joyce Akers, who has been a volunteer for UNICEF for 30 years, accepted the check for $5,000 from the children of the community.
"Oh, this is the best I've ever seen," said Akers, referring to the tremendous effort by the residents of Casa de Amigos.
Akers said the money will be sent to Washington, D.C., and will be added to the Afghan children's relief fund.
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
