City Rescue Mission in Oklahoma City was short 80 Halloween costumes for the 120 children staying at the shelter, leaving staff scrambling with the holiday closing in. By the time the shelter's Halloween carnival rolled around, every single child had a costume to wear.
The shelter's turnaround came thanks to a wave of community donations and help from Oklahoma City Thunder player Isaiah Hartenstein, whose foundation stepped in to help close the gap, according to KOCO. KOCO reported on the shortfall and fix as the shelter sought costumes with Halloween just days away. An earlier KOCO report put the shelter's ask at 70 costumes for children ahead of the holiday.
A Carnival Full of Superheroes and Princesses
Once the costumes arrived, City Rescue Mission staff turned the shelter into a Halloween carnival, setting up booths for candy and games to create a festive atmosphere for the kids, the station's report notes. Children dressed as superheroes and princesses spent the event collecting treats and playing games, according to the same account.
Erin Goodin, the mission's CEO and president, told KOCO that watching the kids enjoy the costumes and the carnival meant a great deal to the staff. “It just brings joy to our heart that they get to experience something so joyful while they're here,” Goodin said.
Thunder Star's Foundation Has a History With Local Nonprofits
Hartenstein's involvement isn't an isolated gesture. During the 2025 off-season, the NBA named him the winner of the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award, as reported by KOCO. That same off-season, the Hartenstein Foundation donated to Positive Tomorrows, an Oklahoma organization that helps unhoused families and children, per the outlet's reporting.
A Shelter Stretched by Rising Need
The costume drive lands against a backdrop of growing demand at City Rescue Mission. The shelter has reported that its average number of children served climbed from about 56 per month in 2021 to 92 per month in 2022, and then to 121 per month in 2023, according to an earlier KOCO report. The mission has pointed to high eviction rates and rising rents in Oklahoma City as factors driving families into its care, per that same report.
Community support for the shelter's Halloween needs isn't new, either. A KOCO report described an earlier costume donation effort for children living at a local shelter, reflecting a pattern of community response around the holiday in years past.
For now, the immediate need has been met. Every child at City Rescue Mission has a costume for the carnival, and for one night in Oklahoma City, kids who are navigating housing instability got to be superheroes and princesses instead.
