For some, Halloween is an excuse to dress up in ridiculous costumes and have a good time with friends; for others it is an opportunity to do both that and volunteer. Halloween this year is no exception. There are a plethora of volunteer opportunities to partake in, ranging from carving pumpkins with local youth to leading tours through haunted houses.
“There is a lot to do right now. It is a great time for community service,” said Stephanie Silver, the Resident Assistant of the Community Service House.
The Co-op, also known as the Community Service House, is planning an event titled “Trick-or-Canning.” Volunteers will wear Halloween costumes and go house-to-house collecting cans and raising money for the Blue Mountain Food Bank. This event begins around 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31 at the Co-op. It will prospectively last two hours. After the event, the Co-op invites volunteers to eat caramel apples. If you are interested, contact Stephanie Silver at [email protected] for more information.
If you desire a more interactive and ghostly experience, volunteer at the ArtWalla Haunted House. They need volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 25, Thursday, Oct. 30 and Friday, Oct. 31. Volunteers are encouraged but not required to wear a costume. Of course, dressing-up will enhance the experience and may illicit more shrieks from those on the tour. Proceeds will benefit the “Windows on the Past” mural – a current art project at the Odd Fellows Temple in Heritage Park.
As is tradition, North Hall is once again transforming into the Haunted Hospital, fund raising for the Blue Mountain Humane Society. Volunteers are needed to set up and take down decorations, lead tours, and dress up as the ghosts of virulent patients and sketchy, uncertified doctors. Fliers are posted around campus publicizing the event.
The Kirkman House Museum is looking for volunteers during their activity fair on Friday, Oct. 31. Events include bobbing for apples, handing out treats and playing tricks on local children as they trick-or-treat downtown.
On Friday, Oct. 31, Whitman sororities will be volunteering at the annual YMCA Spooktacular. The Halloween Spooktacular is a carnival event that boasts game booths and prizes, Halloween-inspired foods, games for all ages, interactive crafts and a haunted maze. Volunteers are encouraged to wear costumes.
“The Spooktacular is epic,” said Volunteer Club President Carole Wilson.
A past volunteer at the event, she looks forward to Halloween because there are so many opportunities for Whitman students to become involved in the community.
“[Volunteering during Halloween] I the one time when people from all different ages have a really good time together,” said Wilson. Plus, it enables volunteers like Wilson to reconnect with the child within themselves.
From ghosts to ghouls, be sure to volunteer this Halloween. In addition to dressing up and having a good time, you can help out the community, one volunteer at a time.
“Volunteering is such a direct way of making a difference in the community and investing in Walla Walla. [It] is so rewarding and uses a different energy than we use for our studies that tend to be so insular,” Silver said. “It’s a great way to look outside yourself and help somebody else for a little bit.”
