Crater of Hope, Inc. is teaming up with Emily Ayers of Middlesboro Main Street to collect Halloween costumes for kids in need.

“We have two drop off locations,” Jeannie Allen, who represents Crater of Hope, Inc. explained. “Those locations are the Middlesboro Main Street Office at 2215 Cumberland Avenue or Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College at 100 College Road.”

Allen encourages the community to participate and is also encouraging those who follow Crater of Hope on Facebook to share the event post.

“The students trick-or-treat in downtown Middlesboro on Halloween morning,” she said. “I would like to get the costumes to the schools before that morning.”

The Crater of Hope, Inc. monthly meeting will be held next Monday at 6 p.m. at the Middlesboro Bell County Public Library.

“Our speakers will be Tom Busic from the Middlesboro Police Department and Tiffany Dobbs from Addiction Recovery Care,” she explained. “I would like to invite everyone that you may know that may benefit from this.”

Allen is also encouraging local churches to do their own Freedom Rallies at their churches.

“I am strongly encouraging each church to pick a month, and we will help promote them,” she said. “This would be their service and they pick the music, the speakers and refreshments.”

She believes that getting the churches involved in hearing stories from their own movies will motivate and educate other members.

“We may not agree with everyone’s type of workshop, but we encourage each other to get involved with this community event without any judgement,” she said.

Allen will be posting calendars and individual posters each month.

Prior to Halloween, Allen is also encouraging the community to walk their yards to check for needles.

She said that topic will be discussed at the Crater of Hope Meeting next Monday.