A Northside Halloween Tradition
Trick-or-Treaters Visit from Northside Child Development Center
For more than a decade, children from Catholic Charities Northside Child Development Center (NCDC) have upheld a Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating at the agency’s administrative offices. This tradition began when the team at NCDC were looking for ways to engage students and staff in a fun way — and help them learn more about Catholic Charities first-hand. “We wanted to go to different spaces within the agency to meet people and make connections,” said Rasheena Bickham, program manager at NCDC. “And we also wanted to give our kids the best experience trick-or-treating on Halloween — especially because it isn’t always safe for some children to go out in their neighborhoods at night.”
Since then, a van full of NCDC staff and students has traveled to Catholic Charities’ administrative center every year on Halloween. And when Catholic Charities moved its Minneapolis headquarters to the Frey Center at Elliot Park, NCDC’s trick-or-treaters followed.
Catholic Charities staff and NCDC students love this Halloween tradition. Everybody wears their best costumes, kids carry buckets for candy, and chaperones bring bags to fill up for older kids who have to stay behind to attend classes. Afterwards, everybody at NCDC — and their families — are invited to a fall festival. Catholic Charities serves nearly 200 children each year at Northside, so these festivals draw a large crowd!
What it Means for Families
NCDC is an important resource for families who are eligible for state-subsidized childcare. Celebrations aside, NCDC is a place that many North Minneapolis families rely on for early childhood programming, childcare, and education for children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age. Beyond those services, Northside is a community hub in its neighborhood, offering many family-focused events, parent education, and parent support groups.
“Our main objective is to create fun experiences for all of our kids while they are here,” said Rasheena. “We tell new parents that we don’t know what kids go through once they leave us, so when they are here, we give 100% to them and make sure that every minute is full of fun, joy, learning, and love.”
