On Oct. 27, Wofford Companions is hosting their annual trick-or-treat event to stir excitement for Halloween. This event is a favorite of both the companions and the members of the organization.
Wofford Companions is a student-run organization that aims to foster positive social experiences for individuals with special needs living in the Spartanburg Community. The club is currently working to branch out even further to surrounding areas.
The club normally hosts monthly events, but the hurricane prevented their September fall event from happening. Because of this, trick-or-treating will be a bit different this year with the joining of these two events for double the fun.
Instead of their normal one-hour event, this event will last two hours and be filled with not only trick-or-treating in the senior village, but also pumpkin painting, fall cookie decorating, and fall themed games.
The club’s Involvement Chair, Greer Worley ‘27, attended this event last year, and she could not be more excited to participate once again.
Worley explained that one of her favorite parts of this event is the costumes. Both the members and the companions take the Halloween dress code seriously. In the past, the costumes have been nothing short of exemplary, and Worley expects the same this year.
“It’s everyone’s favorite event. It’s so fun to dress up and see the companions in their costumes. It’s also really cool to see the seniors interact with the companions as well,” Worley says.
This event is hosted in the senior village and allows for students who are not members of the club to volunteer. Seniors have the opportunity to register their apartments and be included in the route to pass out candy and greet the companions.
The President of Wofford Companions Margeaux Stapleton ‘26 is also excited to be organizing and attending this event.
“It’s the highlight of their year,” Stapleton says.
Worley and Stapleton both have high school experiences working with special needs individuals, and knew that when they came to Wofford, that they wanted to continue to be involved.
“When I came here, I knew that I wanted to do something impactful, and different,” Stapleton says.
Stapleton has been a member of the club since her freshman year and president since the fall of her sophomore year. Throughout her time as president, she has fostered substantial growth in numbers and member engagement.
Through her leadership, the club has gone from close to ten total companions and volunteers, to now an average of twenty companions and fifty volunteers per event. She has also added five leadership positions to help maintain this growth, one of those being Worley’s.
In her role as Involvement Chair, Worley dedicates her time to ensuring the active participation of the club’s members by regular check-ins. She makes sure that members are enjoying the volunteer opportunities as well as holding them accountable for expectations.
Through events like trick-or-treat, Stapleton and Worley, along with the other members of the leadership team, work to grant individuals with special needs the opportunity to connect with each other and have fun while doing it.
“Everybody deserves the chance to just go and have fun. We can do that easily, but they cannot,” Stapleton says.
Stapleton added that hosting these monthly events not only benefits the companions themselves, but also serves the volunteers participating.
“The thing that the companions are best at, is not taking for granted the little things in life. Lots of them have really hard circumstances, but they always come in as bright lights,” Stapleton says.
Wofford Companions is a wonderful opportunity to get involved on campus and meet members of the Spartanburg community. Spending time volunteering with this organization is fulfilling as Worley explains.
“The companions are all best friends with each other which is so heartwarming to see,” Worley says.
Trick-or-treating is just one of the many events hosted by Wofford Companions. While membership applications for the fall have closed, volunteers are always needed and welcomed.
Both Stapleton and Worley encourage the student body to come out to an event, and if it piques interest, consider joining in the spring.
