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THE SUNDAY SANTAN SUN NEWS | OCTOBER 10, 2021
For more community news visit SanTanSun.com
Chandler man transforms childhood fear of Halloween
BY KEN SAIN Staff Writer
Mason Petersen said Halloween terrified him as a child. It wasn’t just the ghost stories and haunted mansions. Petersen is autistic and the flashing lights and loud noises led to some sensory overload. Now, he’s the one dishing out the scares. Petersen has built a display themed Ghoulish Graveyard and Cursed Catacombs for this Halloween at his West Chandler home. “It’s fun just to share it with the neighbors and the people in the area,” Petersen said. His display, at 6321 W. Post Road, will be set up through the month for Halloween. People can see all the displays and the nearly half dozen animatronics 6-9 p.m. Fridays-Sundays. It’s free but Petersen is seeking donations for Arizona Autism United. Petersen is accepting donations from visitors with the money going to Arizona Autism United. He said he’s been setting up a Halloween display every year since his family moved to Chandler in 2009. Their display got a big boost a de-
COVID wasn’t even “a year old yet, … there
was probably some fear around it, like most people weren’t comfortable, but like now the comfort is coming back. So we’re hoping to get more foot traffic this year.
”
– Mason Petersen
Mason Petersen use to be afraid of Halloween as a kid but now he is has set up his own holiday display in front of his home to benefit Arizona Autism United. (Special to SanStan Sun News)
cade later. Petersen said a woman named Kerry was driving past their house in 2019 and saw his display October. “A lady came by, and donated her husband’s stuff that he had before he passed because he was also passionate for Halloween,” Petersen said. “I was See
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100+ Women help Boost a Foster Family BY LEANN LANDBERG AND SUSAN BARLOW Guest Writers
In the unfortunate event that a child must be separated from their biological parents, placement with relatives, or kinship care, provides permanency for children and helps them maintain family connections. Placement can come with little notice and can place a heavy financial burden on the foster family. A Gilbert based nonprofit, Boost a Foster Family, helps foster children to be placed in a kinship home in a timelier manner, avoiding lengthy stays in shelters and group homes. Boost a Foster Family helps prospective foster families fulfill their state requirements and be granted licenses quicker, thus allowing them to begin receiving much needed resources only available to licensed caregivers. Boost a Foster Family receives referrals from the Arizona Department of Child Safety and Arizona foster care licensing agencies. Once a referral is accepted, it swiftly supplies the required items, or coordinates the services, to ensure the home meets safety standards mandated by the state. Foster families must meet all safety standards for their home before a child will be placed in the house. These standards include pool fences, child proof locks, smoke detectors, fire extinguish-
Attending the check presentation to Boost A Foster Family were, from left: Crissy Haidos, Michelle Noe (founder of Boost a Foster Family), Kat Lepper, Jenny Cook, Jonathan Olson, Donna Olson, Susan Barlow and Alice Burba. (Courtesy of 100+ Women Who Care)
ers, etc. The cost to make appropriate modifications to their homes can be prohibitive in proceeding with the placement. In addition, the organization provides support to get required medical services and CPR training. Since incorporating in June 2016, Boost a Foster Family has seen incredible growth. By 2020, it had served over
1,000 families and 3,000 children. The pandemic has brought additional concerns about the stability of foster care placements. Families already managing the stressors of the foster care system are also managing the stressors of the pandemic. In addition, as schools have reopened, the overall number of children being placed in foster care has been
increasing, creating a need for increased services. In September, 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun presented Boost a Foster Family with a donation of $10,000 on behalf of their East Valley members. Michelle Noe, founder of Boost a See
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