ONE COSTUME.
Sometimes a costume is more than a costume.
Johnson County is growing quickly, but not every family is thriving. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 7.9% of people in Johnson County are living below the poverty line.
For a child, that can show up in ways adults may never think about.
A class costume party.
A neighborhood trick or treat night.
Walking into school the next morning and hearing everyone talk about what they dressed up as and how much candy they got.
When we get older, we want to stand out.
We want to be different.
We want to become our own person.
But when we are kids, most of us just want to belong.
We want to do what our friends are doing.
We want to be included.
We do not want everyone else to know that our family could not afford something.
That is why Sarah and I want to make sure 50 kids in Johnson County have a costume this Halloween.
Not because a Halloween costume is one of life's great necessities.
Because being a kid matters.
Belonging matters.
And sometimes something small can let a child simply enjoy being a child.
Why Halloween?
Halloween has always been one of my favorite nights of the year.
Not because of everything everybody chooses to associate with it.
I love it because there are not many nights left when an entire neighborhood comes outside.
People sit in their driveways and on their front porches.
Neighbors actually meet each other.
Parents walk the streets with their kids.
We laugh.
We hand out candy.
We dote on kids wearing superhero masks, princess dresses and homemade costumes.
For one night, doors open.
Lights come on.
And neighborhoods come alive.
I see that as an opportunity.
An opportunity to be a light in the night.
An opportunity to take back our neighborhoods for the purposes of good and not evil.
And this year, we want 50 more kids to get to be part of it.
