Costume drive - is this typical?

[Anonymous]

DD just started KG and our school is having a costume drive for families in our community that can't afford costumes. It seems like we have very few - less than 10, I think

i can see from the sign up genius that no one has signed up at all.

Frankly, I'd rather donate food or coats or shoes than a costume that will be worn for a 1/2 hour parade. Especially when so many costumes can be made at home. I also know that a big food drive for Tgiving and a coat drive AND a shoe drive are coming up in the next 2 months and given our own limits, I'd prefer to donate to those.

Are costume drives common at the area schools? Do you give?

** another note - most of the costumes needed are big sizes, so I can't donate any old stuff of DD's

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

DD just started KG and our school is having a costume drive for families in our community that can't afford costumes. It seems like we have very few - less than 10, I think

i can see from the sign up genius that no one has signed up at all.

Frankly, I'd rather donate food or coats or shoes than a costume that will be worn for a 1/2 hour parade. Especially when so many costumes can be made at home. I also know that a big food drive for Tgiving and a coat drive AND a shoe drive are coming up in the next 2 months and given our own limits, I'd prefer to donate to those.

Are costume drives common at the area schools? Do you give?

** another note - most of the costumes needed are big sizes, so I can't donate any old stuff of DD's

The kids don't get to use the costumes to go trick-or-treating they are only for the school event?

If you don't have ones to donate, don't do it. It sounds like a great way for someone that does have larger size ones to help out

[Anonymous]

What's the big deal? If you have old costumes sitting around, donate them. If not, no big deal. You sound like a mean person OP.

[Anonymous]

OP here: they want new costumes. I just feel like we're being constantly asked to donate.

[Anonymous]

I think this sounds like a fantastic idea! I have at least 3-4 outgrown costumes lying around that I'd love for another child to enjoy. OP, I don't know about in your area, but where I live, it seems like most kids these days have store-bought costumes. I miss the old days of homemade costumes too, but without knowing each person's individual situation I really can't speculate as to whether they have the time, means, or inclination to make a costume. SHouldn't the child still be able to enjoy Halloween and feel like they "fit in" with the other kids??? THe only thing is I think the children should be allowed to keep the costumes and wear them for trick-or-treating and pretend play thereafter. My kids always loved to use their costumes just for fun, as long as they fit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: they want new costumes. I just feel like we're being constantly asked to donate.

Honestly, beggars can't be choosers. If hand-me-downs are good enough for younger children in any given family, they're good enough for those asking for something from others. DCUM will slam this and I don't care. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

News flash, OP! Not everyone is you!!! Shocking, I know. I've got two older boys and a younger girl who is obsessed with everything pink and princessy. So yeah, I do have plenty of barely-used costumes in larger sizes to donate. If you don't, then don't donate. I genuinely cannot fathom someone actually wanting there to NOT be a donation drive just because you don't have anything to donate. If I am understanding you correctly, I think you are not a good person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: they want new costumes. I just feel like we're being constantly asked to donate.

why new costumes??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: they want new costumes. I just feel like we're being constantly asked to donate.

Then why did you add you can't donate your daughter's old ones because they are the wrong size ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:News flash, OP! Not everyone is you!!! Shocking, I know. I've got two older boys and a younger girl who is obsessed with everything pink and princessy. So yeah, I do have plenty of barely-used costumes in larger sizes to donate. If you don't, then don't donate. I genuinely cannot fathom someone actually wanting there to NOT be a donation drive just because you don't have anything to donate. If I am understanding you correctly, I think you are not a good person.

OP here: My point is that NO ONE is donating - it would make perfect sense if a ton of other families had left-over costumes from years past to hand down - or if they wanted to buy brand-new costumes - but since no one is donating at all, I have to wonder if this project is not working. Honestly, I'm trying to be a good citizen of my new school and participated in the September drive and will participate in Nov's food drive and the Winter coat drive and I don't mean to begrudge anyone a Halloween - just wondering if other schools do this, and if other parents consider this a necessity.

Like I said, they specifically want new costumes, with a caveat that they are "willing" to take used ones as long as they look like new.

[Anonymous]

If the organizer wants a decent number of donations she needs to accept used costumes. Most families have costumes stashed away that they won't be using again.

We have a used costume drive at my kid's school. The idea is to get them into the hands of those kids whose families either can't afford a costume or didn't grow up with halloween so don't take the initiative to buy costumes, but the drive is open to all kids so no one is singled out. All the kids are invited to dress up on halloween for a parade around the school neighborhood. The few kids not wearing a costume usually look miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP here: My point is that NO ONE is donating - it would make perfect sense if a ton of other families had left-over costumes from years past to hand down - or if they wanted to buy brand-new costumes - but since no one is donating at all, I have to wonder if this project is not working. Honestly, I'm trying to be a good citizen of my new school and participated in the September drive and will participate in Nov's food drive and the Winter coat drive and I don't mean to begrudge anyone a Halloween - just wondering if other schools do this, and if other parents consider this a necessity.

Like I said, they specifically want new costumes, with a caveat that they are "willing" to take used ones as long as they look like new.

Doesn't sound like it is working. Are you offering to help in some way so that it does work? You don't have a dog in this fight, not the coordinator, not a donator, and not a recipient, so why you complaining?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:News flash, OP! Not everyone is you!!! Shocking, I know. I've got two older boys and a younger girl who is obsessed with everything pink and princessy. So yeah, I do have plenty of barely-used costumes in larger sizes to donate. If you don't, then don't donate. I genuinely cannot fathom someone actually wanting there to NOT be a donation drive just because you don't have anything to donate. If I am understanding you correctly, I think you are not a good person.

OP here: My point is that NO ONE is donating - it would make perfect sense if a ton of other families had left-over costumes from years past to hand down - or if they wanted to buy brand-new costumes - but since no one is donating at all, I have to wonder if this project is not working. Honestly, I'm trying to be a good citizen of my new school and participated in the September drive and will participate in Nov's food drive and the Winter coat drive and I don't mean to begrudge anyone a Halloween - just wondering if other schools do this, and if other parents consider this a necessity.

Like I said, they specifically want new costumes, with a caveat that they are "willing" to take used ones as long as they look like new.

They probably just want to avoid getting a lot of worn out junk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here: My point is that NO ONE is donating - it would make perfect sense if a ton of other families had left-over costumes from years past to hand down - or if they wanted to buy brand-new costumes - but since no one is donating at all, I have to wonder if this project is not working. Honestly, I'm trying to be a good citizen of my new school and participated in the September drive and will participate in Nov's food drive and the Winter coat drive and I don't mean to begrudge anyone a Halloween - just wondering if other schools do this, and if other parents consider this a necessity.

Like I said, they specifically want new costumes, with a caveat that they are "willing" to take used ones as long as they look like new.

Doesn't sound like it is working. Are you offering to help in some way so that it does work? You don't have a dog in this fight, not the coordinator, not a donator, and not a recipient, so why you complaining?

OP here: not complaining. I asked if your school has this drive and if you donate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:News flash, OP! Not everyone is you!!! Shocking, I know. I've got two older boys and a younger girl who is obsessed with everything pink and princessy. So yeah, I do have plenty of barely-used costumes in larger sizes to donate. If you don't, then don't donate. I genuinely cannot fathom someone actually wanting there to NOT be a donation drive just because you don't have anything to donate. If I am understanding you correctly, I think you are not a good person.

OP said the organizer wants people to purchase new costumes for the drive. That's the problem- not that OP doesn't want to donate used costumes or thinks a costume drive is a bad idea. This seems to be a request that WOULD BE perfectly reasonable if they were accepting used costumes, but they want new only, in a season where there are a lot of requests for other donations as well.