By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Stacey Granger/Life Art Imaging

Emma Shapiro, 12, founder of The Halloween Helpers.

Every mother asks their child to clean up their room. But, not every child who takes to the task comes up with an entrepreneurial, charitable vision in the process. Not the case with Wynnewood’s Emma Shapiro. Last fall the 12-year-old, a seventh grader at Bala Cynwyd Middle School, was cleaning out her closest and came across ten old Halloween costumes which she had outgrown-Cinderella, Hannah Montana, a witch costume, and more. Emma asked her mother, Ilyse, what she should do because she felt throwing out her once-worn outfits seemed wasteful. Ilyse challenged her daughter to think of an idea. And, thus, The Halloween Helpers was born.

This year will be the first run at a collection for The Halloween Helpers and the Shapiros are counting on community support across the Philadelphia region to reach their goals. The concept is simple, yet the impact is life-changing: Recycle once-worn costumes to pass along to a neighborhood in need where families do not have the financial means or resources to purchase their own Halloween costumes.
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