‘Boo’ to Hunger

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Trick or Treat comes around every October but hunger is an issue that unfortunately happens year-round. 

The Colony Square Mall will be holding an event that will dish out candy to the kids who bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Muskingum County Hunger Network. 

“We are very excited to be hosting the Mall-O-Ween trick-or-treat, here on Halloween Day, beginning at 5:30 p.m. This is going to be a mall-wide, trick-or-treat event, where everybody is welcome to come out and don their best Halloween costumes and have a good time with the community. Most importantly, we would like to invite everybody to bring donations of non-perishable food items. Those will go to benefit Operation Feed and benefit many folks in need here in our community,” Colony Square Mall General Manager Jessica Brailer said.

The mall will offer trick-or-treaters shelter from any spooky weather outside, while a DJ will be administering a fun Halloween atmosphere inside.

“So the food is going to go to the Muskingum County Hunger Network, which is made up of 12 food pantries and 3 hot-meal programs in Muskingum County. And what we have seen as a network is that there are people coming to use the food pantries and hot meals that never have before. And so the need for our services has increased. So with the community stepping up like this, having partners like the mall really helps us be able to help others. So we’re just so grateful for that,” Muskingum County Hunger Network Vice President Jamie Trout said.

The Mall-O-Ween event will take place 5:30 p.m. Thursday, beginning at the food court entrance, where you can drop off your non-perishable food items. Any donations outside of the event will be accepted and forwarded to the Muskingum County Hunger Network.