My Halloween Day Story Filled with Happiness
I was that kid—the one who couldn’t wait for Halloween Day just to load up on candy.
Lots of it.
“Did you know that at one time trick-or-treating was canceled? During World War II, children weren’t allowed to go trick-or-treating because of a sugar shortage.”
— Linda Bozzo
A sugar shortage?! I can’t even imagine. Especially with my love for chocolate bars!
Halloween Was Freedom and Fun
Every year, kids across the United States look forward to October 31st—when you can dress up as anyone you want.
For me, growing up in New York, Halloween meant freedom.
Merchants, neighbors, and even building tenants would greet us with sweets and smiles.
My sisters and I would roam the streets yelling “Trick or treat!” and stuffing our bags full of goodies late into the evening. When the night was over, we’d climb to the rooftop, pour out our loot, sort it, and trade for our favorite treats.
Hershey’s. Snickers. Candy Corn.
We’d do it all over again the next year, hitting the most generous neighborhoods in Queens.
Passing It On—Bringing Joy to Teens in Crisis
Fast forward to today—I now work with teenagers at ViewPoint Health, an Adolescent Crisis Stabilization Unit in Atlanta, Georgia. These are teens experiencing psychiatric crises, and this Halloween, we’re doing everything we can to bring a little happiness to their lives.
This year, our annual Fall Festival is happening on October 30th—the last Friday of the month.
A team effort between our activity department, medical personnel, nurses, and teachers has created a packed event filled with:
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🎭 Costume contests
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💬 Motivational talks
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🧼 Hygiene and self-esteem workshops
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🍬 Goodie bags filled with Halloween candy
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🎁 A special prize for the best costume!
This isn’t just about fun—it’s about healing through happiness, one moment, one smile, and one piece of candy at a time.
What’s Your Halloween Story?
Whether you’re reminiscing about pillowcases full of candy or your first homemade costume, Halloween is more than just a spooky night—it’s a memory maker.
We’d love to hear your Halloween stories.
Share them in the comments and let’s keep the spirit of joy alive, especially for the young people who need it most.
I like that this is something for teens who are battling depression. It must be incredibly difficult to fight depression as an adult, let alone as a teen. Our Halloweens were always filled with lots of trick or treating, costumes, and some parties too! It’s always a fun time of year for our family!
Jessica Harlow, Teens suffering from depression especially the once I see on a daily basic …Halloween is a treat for them.
We are ALL ABOUT Halloween in our house. We really go all out.
We used to switch out treats as well! This is such a great thing for these teens. The classes will be so useful for them.
Shell, Glad you liked, yes these classes needed for teens.
My kids loved to go trick or treating when they were young. Now, it’s my twin granddaughters’ turn to wear costumes and go trick or treating.
I think every kid should experience Halloween even just once. I think it’s great that you’re part of such a nice event. Keep it up.
Fighting depression is hard for anyone.
What a FUN event and wonderful cause! This looks like something that I could totally get into, and I love that it’s made to help with depression, too.
We love Halloween! It’s all about creativity and pretend and meeting the neighbors
This will be so good for the teens out there. They’ll have a great time with the halloween fun too!
I love Halloween and can’t wait to take my grandchildren out trick or treating. I think it is great that you are working with teens.
This sounds like a fun event for the teens that you work with. My students always loved whenever we did anything special like that because it was a chance to look forward to something and add some variety into their day.
I love that there is a company doing something like that. It’s so important to try and help people with depression, especially teens.
ashleigh, Teens who are depressed wants to feel that someone care about them especially the once I am currently working with most come from trouble background.
My kids would love trick or treats. Halloween is one of my favorite Holiday
What a great way to not only help teens with their period of depression, but to also allow them to enjoy the festivities of Halloween.
Sounds like a great program to help teens with depression. I have to check them out
Thank you for raising awareness that teens too can suffer from depression. I applaud your effort to make these kids know that they are loved and that there is hope in the world.
Annemarie LeBlanc, Glad you like and thank you for your support.
Oh wow, how would things be if there’s a sugar shortage. What a great facility for helping teens with depression and for now forgetting them while we all have fun on Halloween.
Tatanisha Pitts-Worthey, Every day the team and I make sure the teens with depression has the best experience while they are at our facilities. Our priority is to “To promote overall health and improve quality of life by ensuring the delivery of effective behavioral and physical health care that meets the needs of communities we serve”. Thank you for your continue support.
That’s kind to create the post to share. I think being a teen is challenging at any time, even more so when there’s depression involved.
Well known that even before they promulgated about this, that’s why some of them feeling depressed about it, But now Halloween is the one who waiting them for happiness! My son would loved this especially when they did a lot effort of their costumes!
Great! I know it is a great place for helping the kids. Everybody should check it out! I am also looking forward to that holy night.
Glad you like Elizabeth O and thanks for your support.
Halloween was always one of my favorites, too. Now that I’m a mom, I love doing it with my kids.
Halloween is such a treat for kids, and adults too! I love to see the kids dressed up, going from house to house for candy.
We are all about Halloween in this house. Between the colorful leaves, cool nights, bonfires and creepy movies, this is the best time of the year.
That’s awesome. What a great way to help and uplift teens! I love it.
I was never big on Halloween growing up. My kids are getting into it now.
Camesha | Mama Motivator, Yes the teens need these kind of special activities to encourage building self-esteem.
I was only allowed to go to a few houses at Halloween. It’s cool that you sat on a rooftop and sorted out the candy. would’ve loved that! We collected our candy in pillowcases, and when we came home, we would stick our heads in the pillowcases, sometimes with a flashlight, and suck in the aroma of all the candy before our mom would go through it all. I can still smell the aroma of inside that pillowcase. When my kids trick or treated I would have to grab a whiff of inside their pillowcases every year. great memories! It’s awesome you have this festival for those teens.
Karen McDonough, Wow, good times fun with the one we love indeed bring back the good old times when candy was $0.05cent Haha.
We love Halloween at home too but we weren’t able to go out for Trick or Treating this year.