Retirement homes turn into trick-or-treat hot spots this Halloween

By Kendra Simpson

When heading out for trick-or-treating, parents usually consider the easiest and safest spots while kids are generally concerned with obtaining as much candy as possible. The answer to both? Retirement communities.

St. Joseph has several candy hot spots, such as Ashland Avenue and Deer Park, that promise heavy bags and satisfied trick-or-treaters. But one overlooked sugar goldmine is local retirement homes and communities.

Holiday Country Squire, a local retirement community, is hoping and prepared for several trick-or-treaters with “tons of candy.”

“It’s a one-stop shop for any trick-or-treaters,” Calli Aguilar, the community’s sales manager said. “We have all kinds of candy. All of our residents have donated candy and then yesterday they spent about an hour or two making candy bags to pass out tonight.”

Along with getting more candy than a kid could hope for, trick-or-treating at retirement communities is also a treat for the residents who live there.

“Honestly, there’s nothing that makes them happier than, you know, getting to be a part of the community and, you know, see all the costumes and the kids. It just makes their year every single year,” Aguilar said.

Holiday Country Squire will be accepting trick-or-treaters from 6 to 8 p.m. at 1602 Buckingham St. After stopping by the retirement community, be sure to visit popular spots like Ashland Avenue, Deer Park and Downtown St. Joseph.