A friend of mine is a single mom of three kids. For the past several years, she has dropped by our home sometime on Halloween night. The mom, Wendy, sits down for the first time all day while our teenagers take her oldest daughter and son (9 and 7) trick-or-treating around our neighborhood. While the kids are gone, I take over care for the baby and serve Wendy something to eat and drink. In her world of welfare checks, late child support, and the pursuit of a GED, our home becomes a place of trust and treat. There are no tricks here and she knows it. It is events like Halloween or holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter that can often become more a burden than a celebration for a single mom. The children are excited and eager while the mom is often simply exhausted.

This Halloween, create a sanctuary for single moms. Decide early in the month whose home will become the scare-free, safe haven.

Before the event:

• Send invitations to single moms that those in your group know personally, advertise in your church bulletin or newsletter, and consider placing an ad in your local newspaper.
  
  
• Have each group member sign up to bring food, drinks, candy and/or small gifts for the children
  
  
• Determine who will serve the moms and who will offer to take the children trick-or-treating (teen-aged children of your group members may enjoy this opportunity)
  
  

On Halloween:

• Turn on indirect lighting, play relaxing background music, and light candles.
  
  
• Welcome each mom and child when they arrive.
  
  
• Invite the mom to sit and relax. Offer her something to eat and drink.
  
  
• Enjoy conversing with each mom.
  
  
• Offer to pray for her needs and/or those of her children if the opportunity presents itself.
  
  

After the event:

• Pray for the moms and children that came.
  
  
• Attempt to stay in contact with the moms and invite them to your small group when appropriate.
  
  

You might also want to:

Pray for a single mom every day for the whole month of October.

Spend $10 a week on someone else for a month.

Donate books and/or magazines to a local nursing home.

Originally published online at SmallGroups.com, October 8, 2006.

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