Second-Chance Halloween for Lower East Side Youth

From the Bowery Boogie mailbag:

For many of the underserved kids on the Lower East Side and in the East Village, Halloween was scary, but not for the usual reasons—this year, most of the kids spent what’s usually a festive holiday in apartments darkened by Hurricane Sandy.

Now, after a week in the dark, children on the Lower East Side are back in the classroom, and in the Educational Alliance’s After School program at P.S. 142, low-income kids are getting out their costumes and getting ready for a Halloween celebration this Friday, Nov. 9, at 3:30 pm.

While kids Uptown spent Halloween trick-or-treating, those in areas like the Lower East Side and East Village spent one of many nights in the dark—without power, water and heat. Though the students are excited to be back at school, many are still facing hardships at home as the temperature’s dropping and heat is slow to be restored to apartments, and some are still living in shelters. The Halloween celebration gives the kids an opportunity for fun after what’s been a difficult week for them and their families.