By Alana Gibbs

For the first time the Massachusetts Avenue Project and People United for Sustainable Housing recently hosted a Halloween party for neighborhood children.

The painted Halloween picture

Children disused in “scary” costumes, go door-to-door asking for candy on Halloween is traditional. Neighborhoods decorated with Happy Halloween signs, orange lights and neighbors waiting for trick-or-treaters with bowls of candy are images painted in many people’s minds.

However, many neighborhoods are unable to fill the Halloween painted picture. MAP and PUSH Buffalo created a possible solution. They organized a party for West Side residents who live in neighborhoods faced with abandoned houses that pose a safety threat to children trick-or- treating.

Rhonda Foster is a parent who attended the Halloween party at, 271 Grant St. at the MAP center with her 2-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.

“I don’t really like trick-or-treating, it’s dangerous, especially since I have young children,” Foster said.

Foster said she thought the party was a nice alternative to trick-or-treating on the West Side and would like to see it continue.

Why this party is unique

Erin Sharkey is the Growing Green outreach coordinator, which is a group within Map’s organization. Sharkey said that PUSH traditionally works with abandon housing in Buffalo’s West and East sides.

PUSH’s goals are to raise home ownership, lower the abandoned house-percentage in the West and East. Sharkey explained that the party was new for PUSH because their focus is on residential housing.

Why PUSH got involved

PUSH Community Organizer Eric Walker; felt the Halloween party was a success for both organizations.

“As a community organizer, you try to find creative ways to get people involved,” Walker said.

Walker said the party was a good way to promote PUSH in the community and talk with parents about raising home ownership. He said PUSH received about 25 signatures for an information session about PUSH.

Will the Halloween Party happen in 2007?

 Sharkey felt the party’s turnout was great, about 80-100 people attended. Both Sharkey and Walker said the Halloween party would continue in future years. 

“We pretty much made a promise to the community,” Sharkey said.

For questions please e-mail Alana Gibbs at:  gibbaf@buffalostate.edu

Rhonda Foster’s 4-year-old daughter, R’iyana, paints a pink pumpkin.

Children wait in line to be spooked in the haunted house built by MAP employees and teenagers in MAP’s after-school program.

The pumpkin painting station provided paint, brushes and pumpkins for the children.

A MAP employee paints a child’s face like a vampire at the face-painting table.

A counter of candy bags and healthy snacks such as, popcorn, apple cider, raisins and pretzels greet the partygoers at the front doors.