Maniacs Give Back at Halloween: The Children’s Home Network

For more than five years, PostcardMania staff have collected used, children’s Halloween costumes for The Children’s Home Network of Tampa, which is a nonprofit organization that assists children in need through fostering, education, and wellness programs.

The story of the Children’s Home Network began in 1887 when Miss Carrie Hammerly moved to Tampa, FL from Leesburg, VA and began tending to abandoned and orphaned children. Initially, Carrie opened up her own home for kids at risk, and then in 1920 a fire destroyed the home causing them to rebuild.

The new home for the Children’s Home Network was built by renowned architect M. Leo Elliott and still stands today as a National Historic Place. In 1965, the Children’s Home Network moved again to a new location in Tampa off Old Memorial Highway, and this is where they continue to serve more than 7,000 children and adults every year.

Their primary mission is to help children build the skills and confidence necessary to succeed in life. The Children’s Home Network provides housing and care for children ages 6-17, education and intervention in local schools, connections to foster families, tutoring services, and additional support such as school supplies, food, and health care.

More recently in October of 2023, PostcardMania collected 50 costumes from Maniacs and donated them to the kids at the Children’s Home Network so that they could have fun and enjoy dressing up for the holiday.

PostcardMania intends to continue giving back to the Children’s Home Network during the holidays and anticipates the positive long-term rewards of investing in the futures of at-risk youth.

If you would like to learn more about contributing to this incredible organization, you can visit their website here: https://www.childrenshomenetwork.org/