By Marcelyn Joseph

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic wrought numerous challenges to a variety of traditional community norms due to the need for safe social distancing. What to do about Halloween, for example? Well, with a little creativity plus help from the Morristown Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, one annual celebration in Morristown managed to take place without a hitch.

For more than 20 years, Calvary Baptist Church has opened its doors to host Hallelujah Night, an evening filled with lots of fun and festivities for community youths in lieu of door-to-door trick-or-treating.

“Hallelujah Night was created decades ago to provide a safe, positive space for children to gather on Halloween night,” recalled Ferlanda Nixon, a member of both Morristown Alumnae and Calvary Baptist Church. “Under the watchful eyes of trusted adults, children show off their costumes while fellowshipping with their peers.”

In the wake of the COVID pandemic, however, there was no way the event could be executed as in prior years. Instead, Calvary’s Youth Ministry reimagined Hallelujah Night as a daytime, outdoor, trunk-or-treat affair to which Morristown Alumnae donated 300 goodie bags filled with candy. Morristown Alumnae members Cindy Flowers, Stacey Harris, Kimberly Monroe, and Zahara Wadud-Pinkett assisted with the goodie bag contactless drop-offs. “Although we couldn’t participate with a decorated trunk from which to distribute our goodie bags,” remarked Chapter President Johnson, “we took solace in knowing Calvary had plenty of treats for the children.”