I make time for Dahlia’s Costume Closet because I know what it feels like to want to belong but not have the means. I grew up underprivileged as one of nine children in a first generation immigrant family. One Halloween, I wore my sister’s old prom dress as my costume. I was grateful to participate, but I remember the quiet awareness that my family simply could not afford what others had.

As an adult and a mother, I began to see the same experience reflected in children today. Halloween costumes have become increasingly expensive for something worn only once, and many families are forced to choose between essentials and moments that help their children feel included. Watching that cycle repeat was deeply personal for me.

One Halloween, I decided I could not ignore it. I took action and started Dahlia’s Costume Closet so children could choose a costume they love without cost, stigma, or explanation. Every child’s excitement, every smile in front of the mirror, feels like a small correction to something I once lived through.

I am inspired by resilient families and by the power of community. This work has shaped my life by reminding me that empathy, when paired with action, can create real change.

Being American, to me, means honoring where you come from while lifting others along the way. It means turning shared struggle into shared care, and making sure no child is left out simply because of circumstance.