With Halloween just a day away, monsters, heroes, and princesses of all kinds descended upon Lake Station for NorthShore Health Center’s Annual Trunk or Treat festivities. Costumed kids and families enjoyed candy, treats, and information courtesy of NorthShore and their partners.
NorthShore makes it a priority to stay involved with the communities they serve outside their capacity as a health care provider. Volunteers from their team and other healthcare organizations turned the trunks of their cars into various Halloween themed candy buckets that kids and families toured, visiting trunk after trunk. This year marks the third annual Trunk or Treat and has become a tradition for the NorthShore team.
“It’s so fun just to see kids being kids,” said Gervay Dickerson, Lead Event Coordinator and Lake County Outreach Lead for NorthShore. “We have a lot of fun dressing up too. It’s special to give these parents someplace safe to take their kids. It’s not just candy, we’re offering valuable resources and information.”
Aside from the buckets of candy, NorthShore and their partners also offered information about different health programs and initiatives. Information ranged from prenatal care, to proper dental hygiene for kids such as My First Tooth, a Northwest Indiana Early Oral Healthcare Coalition
“We’re a prenatal referral based agency, and our goal is to make sure any woman of childbearing age is getting that proper prenatal care so we partner with NorthShore frequently,” Delores Pratt, Lead Outreach for Northwest Indiana Healthy Start and member of the My First Tooth Coalition said. “We’re out here making sure that kids not only get some candy, but a toothbrush and toothpaste so they can get a good brushing when they head home.”
Parents followed their little Minnie Mice and Spider-Men as they eagerly traveled trunk to trunk collecting their goodies. While the event was public, many parent visitors were longtime patients at the centers who love to see the organization give back.
“My daughter is 4 now, but we’ve been coming here every year. Basically her whole life,” said Adrieanna Williams, a regular NorthShore Patient. “They have all kinds of great events, not just Trunk or Treat. They’re so great at what they do, healthcare and otherwise. If you’re pregnant, they’re really good with pregnancy so I really like them and am so glad they do events like this.”
To learn more about NorthShore Health Centers, find a location, or schedule an appointment visit www.northshorehealth.org.
