First Annual Costume Drive

With the 2026 Halloween season coming to a close, Don’t Be A Monster is thrilled to share with you results from our first ever costume drive. The Don’t Be a Monster and haunt community really showed up for those in need and helped make halloween extra special for kids in the Los Angeles and Long Beach area this year. 

Don’t Be A Monster is all about positively impacting and serving their community and we couldn’t have asked for a better initiative than the Costume Drive to showcase this mission. Everyone who supports Don’t Be a Monster has some of the biggest hearts and we’re blown away at the results. We want to take a moment to shout out to Spirit Halloween, 4th Horseman, Midwest Haunters Convention, Monster Day, and Transworld's Halloween & Attractions Show for partnering with us this year to help raise money for this initiative. Also a very speical thanks to anyone who donated and/or spread the word about Don't Be A Monster and our Costume Drive. It truly is a community effort and we couldn’t be more thankful for the community that has been built around Don't Be A Monster. Brace for impact, because we’re stoked to share:

We raised nearly $15,000 to purchase brand new costumes for families at James Storehouse and The Women Shelter of Long Beach. That’s hundreds of kids, caregivers, parents and more that were able to experience Halloween magic on a special holiday that’s near and dear to the community's hearts.

Our team worked directly with contacts at both James Storehouse and The Women Shelter of Long Beach to create a wishlist for each and every individual that would be served in their locations. Armed with sizes, special interests, and ages we shopped till we dropped and delivered a whopping 300+ costumes just in time for Halloween! 

"They were really appreciative of the donations! There were a lot of gasps of relief and excitement from the clients. Multiple clients told me thank you for offering so many that all of their kids would be able to get a costume. " - Administrative Assistant at Women’s Shelter of Long Beach. 

"We are incredibly grateful to Don't Be A Monster and everyone who contributed to this year's costume drive. Because of your generosity, hundreds of children, teens, and families were able to experience the joy and excitement of Halloween. Watching children light up as they chose their costumes was truly special, and we are so thankful for your partnership in helping create these meaningful memories." - James Storehouse Team Member

We are beyond thrilled with the results for this year’s costume drive and can’t wait to share what we have up our sleeves for this holiday season. Don’t Be A Monster will be back soon with updates for our 2026 Holiday Toy Drive across at least 8 locations nationwide. We’re playing big with this one and can’t wait to get things rolling.

As always, thank you for your continued support towards our mission. This is only the beginning for Don't Be A Monster’s future initiatives and we couldn’t be more excited to continue to serve the community and spread kindness!