Moorpark Girl Scouts Collect Halloween Costumes

By Brenda Cusick

Girl Scout troop 60005 of Moorpark is collecting gently used and new on-sale Halloween costumes to give to foster-care children. 

The troop will be collecting them from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Arroyo Vista Park's back field. You can also email troop leader Brenda Cusick to arrange a pick up. Cusick's email address is brenda.cusick@gmail.com.

The collection is part of a Silver Award project. The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout cadette can earn.

Scout Brianna Csellack explained the troop is collecting costumes as well as prom and party dresses for the children at Casa Pacifica, a foster home for Ventura County children.

"The group home has asked for these items for the kids that live there," she said.

"They will be able to use them for dress up and so the teenagers that live there can enjoy a special prom dance they put on each year," Csellack, a seventh grader at Mesa Verde Middle School, explained.

The girls of troop 60005 have been together since second grade, as Brownies. They earned their Bronze Award in fifth grade as Juniors by collecting more than 150 puppets for the Moorpark Library and building storage bins and displays for the puppets.

"We put on a puppy-puppet party, which was a LOT of fun—and so many people donated puppets. It was great fun," said scout Brooke Cusick.

Brenda Cusick, troop leader, said she has every confidence the girls can change their world.

"They have hard to build this project and they will collect some wonderful costumes and dresses for the Casa Pacifica kids."