Halloween came early for families in the Downtown Reno area. The Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission held a Harvest Party to give away goodies to the homeless for its 10th Annual Street Treats.
Children were able to celebrate Halloween early with candy, games, and other activities. Adults were also able to do some trick-or-treating of their own. The event served an estimated 500 homeless men and women. A multitude of volunteers decorated their vehicles in various Halloween themes and passed out item like hats, gloves, scarves, can openers, personal hygiene items, blankets, cookies, and candy.
About 20 organizations pitched in and also volunteered this year. A lot of people said they were thankful for an opportunity to help and a humbling experience.
"Frankly, they're blessing us more than we're blessing them. They come up and they say, "hey man bless you," and I'm like, "What?" They're so incredibly gracious and welcoming to us that that's probably the best thing about being here." said Greg Latimer, from Triad Technologies.
The CEO of Sierra Meat & Seafood, Chris Flocchini said, "It's always awe-inspiring to me to really feel like I got more than I gave, because of the spirit of the folks that are in need and their graciousness. They're just so appreciative when the community comes out to support them."
Organizers of the event say the amount of volunteers has grown throughout the years, however they could never have too many helping hands.
To learn more about volunteering you can click here or call The Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission's Administration Assistant, Mariah Peaslee atÂ
(office) 775-323-0386 x 16/(cell) 775-297-2505.
(The Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission Contributed to this report.)
