Donate a Costume for Some Halloween Smiles
Break out your super capes, sparkle wands, and scary masks. Ruby’s Place, a 50-year-old non-profit that shelters victims of trauma, is asking for donations this month to provide some special children with a costume for Halloween.
New or gently used costumes are being accepted for boys and girls from newborn to age 15 years. Costumes can be dropped off at the organization’s office at 20880 Baker Street in Castro Valley. The staff distributes these costumes to the little ones so they can celebrate Halloween in a way they might not normally have, says Ruby’s Place communications director, Donn Kirkland
“We want kids to feel special because often they are coming from trauma,” Kirkland told The Forum. “Ruby’s Place founded one of the first domestic abuse shelters in the Bay Area and most of the families we support are women with children. These families may be with us temporarily or for an extended period of time, but often they are escaping their situation with very little.
Founded in 1971, Ruby’s Place started in Hayward as a sanctuary for battered women. The organization has been working since to end domestic violence and human trafficking. The group moved its headquarters to Castro Valley about four years ago and serves the middle and southern parts of Alameda County.
The non-profit runs three shelters: Betty’s Village for battered women; Casa de Ruby for men who are victims of human trafficking; and House of Acceptance for transgender women. Currently, some 20 families have sought shelter at Betty’s Village, each with one or two children.
“Some kids have never had a real Halloween,” Kirkland said. “But they put the costume on they laugh and escape the world. They have a superpower, or they can be their favorite character for one day. It gives you that feeling of wow! And the parents smile too because they feel the kids have this happiness despite the trauma they are going through.”
Oftentimes, those costumes are worn by the kids all year round, Kirkland adds.
October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Like other shelters, Ruby’s Place offers services such as counseling, case management, or assistance to find alternate housing. These services come at a time when an estimated that 15 million children witness domestic violence each year, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) National Statistics.
In Alameda County, the Public Health Department recorded about 6,000 domestic violence-related 911 calls every year since 2014.
Ruby’s Place did not initially see an increase in the number of people seeking help because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kirkland said. But those numbers started growing in March and April of this year as the quarantine restrictions were lifted.
“The client numbers change a lot,” Kirkland said. They come and go on their own terms. It can change monthly, weekly, and even daily. This is why celebrating with a Halloween party and keeping everyone together is so beneficial for these kids.”
If you or someone you know is trying to escape domestic violence, you can call the Ruby’s Place crisis hotline at (888) 339-7233 and para Español at (510) 786-1246.