Marram Health Center continued a long-running tradition on Saturday, October 26, when it invited the Northwest Indiana community out to its annual Trunk-or-Treat, hosted outside its Gary clinic across from Indiana University Northwest.
Families, many in full costume, gathered in one of IUN’s large parking lots where Marram employees and members of other businesses and organizations waited with cars packed full of candy and other treats. Many participants decorated their vehicles to match the holiday, featuring spiderwebs, ghosts, and other ghouls. Some even matched the attendees’ passion by donning their own costumes.
“This is a way for us to give these kids and families a safe opportunity to have a good time,” Etha Lasenby, community outreach manager at Marram, said. “They get to come here and go trunk to trunk instead of door to door. It’s safer, and we have music, food, and hosts who really enjoy it. I think the families that come out enjoy it too.”
One of Marram’s goals is to enhance the quality of life in its community. Much of that work is done through the clinic’s healthcare services, but events such as Trunk-or-Treat where they coordinate with community partners are also an essential component. Some of the organizations that participated were the Gary Police Department, MHS Indiana, Community Advocates of Northern Indiana, and the Gary Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club.
“I love that all these people come out to support us every year,” Lasenby said. “Whether the weather is good or bad, these organizations come out each year and they always enjoy it.”
The Gary Police Department went all out with its trunk, handing out dozens of donuts on top of the usual candies. Deondrick Ford, a patrolman on the department’s midnight shift, happily took part in the festivities.
“It’s important to give back to the community and establish a relationship with the kids,” Ford said. “It doesn’t always have to be bad when you meet the police. It can have a positive impact. And it’s great to see so many others out here too. The more people you can get involved, the better it is. Everybody’s got their hand in the jar, so everybody giving back and coming through as one is how a community should be.”
Beyond filling their bags with goodies, Trunk-or-Treaters also learned more about some of the resources available through participating organizations. Penny Cochran, outreach supervisor for Community Advocates of Northern Indiana, explained that it is the perfect setting for an organization such as hers, which prioritizes the health and well-being of children.
“Something like this appeals to kids, and one of our concerns is their health and wellbeing, and this gets their parents out too,” Cochran said. “We come out here every year to meet people of all ages and share our mission. It’s also an opportunity to network with these other organizations here in the community, and I like that.”
At the end of their route, Trunk-or-Treaters enjoyed a free lunch of hotdogs fresh off the grill before setting off with enough treats to see them through to Halloween.
To learn more about Marram Health Centers and its services, visit marramhealth.org.
