LYNN — For Christy Merryman, building community isn’t an abstract idea; it’s something she creates by hand, one costume, one dress, and one child at a time.

Merryman was just like any other mother. As Halloween came around, she scrambled to find all three of her children’s Halloween costumes. One for school and one for the outside. Slowly as the years went by, the pile sat collecting dust.

“I can’t just throw these costumes away. What can I do with them?” she recalled thinking.

She remembered that her husband, Rob, had purchased a space for her to throw team dinners for the sports her children participated in.

Merryman decided to open the space to allow people to pick and choose through the costumes. The first year she had 30 costumes, and only nine kids came.

“I was… over the moon… I talked about it for months. It grew, it grew, it grew, and more people started giving me… amazing costumes,” she shared.

For nine years now, Merryman has been giving away Halloween costumes during Halloween parties. In the first weekend of October, she creates activities and gives out goodie bags with candy and snacks. The whole space becomes a dance party for the children.

“The mothers are looking for costumes at this point because they’re having so much fun,” Merryman said. “There’s hundreds of kids that come through this within those two days, and it’s like, ‘Wow, I just had a two-day Halloween party.”

As soon as August rolls around, Merryman communicates on her facebook around 207 Lynnfield that the space is open for costume donations.

“I’ll say… I only have 150. I need at least 300 because I have a line at this point for Halloween costumes, and I know that they’re (the costumes) gonna go.” Merryman stated.

Though, as of last year, after her niece informed Merryman that none of her classmates were going to prom because of the expenses, she knew she had to do something.

“I think I can make it happen,” Merryman said as she thought back. “So from that idea… what I did for Halloween, I can make it a thing; I can make it an event.”

Merryman transformed the space into a real life “Say Yes to the Dress,” giving each girl the same experience as if they really walked into a dress store with snacks laid out in the front and even a popcorn machine in the back.

“I like when people come in, and they hang a dress up… They look around and see what they like.” Merryman said. “This is literally the labor of love… I just want everyone to feel good.”

In what she calls Lynnerati, Merryman currently has 119 dresses hanging on the racks, color coordinated and ready to be browsed.

“You make an appointment, what works for you… I’ll be there, and you’re gonna feel like a million bucks,” she explained.

Despite the scale the event has reached, Merryman said the challenges are surprisingly minimal.

“My biggest challenge is… the parking,” she said with a laugh.

Beyond logistics, the process has been “so smooth” thanks to consistent community support.

What keeps her going, however, are the moments that show the real impact of her work.

“The ‘thank you’… or… the stories,” she said.

She recalled a girl who hadn’t planned on attending prom due to financial strain: “She goes, ‘I can’t believe you’re gonna (help me); you don’t even know me.’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t need to know you.’”

That mindset has resonated across the community, inspiring others to contribute in new ways. This year, Merryman expanded beyond dresses, inviting local businesses and friends to donate services instead of money.

“I don’t want any cash… but if you have a service that you’re offering, I’ll take it,” she said.

Contributions have come from places like Hair In The Square, Hair By Ke’Arra Greene, Ram Electrical, Crystal Nails Spa, and Salon NY Peabody, among others.

Now, girls who attend can receive more than just a dress. Hair styling, nail appointments, flowers, and other prom essentials are organized into a giveaway system.

“As the girl is leaving, she reaches in… and whether it’s hair, nails… it’s one more thing that you don’t have to do,” Merryman explained.

She also assembles small gift bags so each attendee leaves feeling celebrated.

The effort has grown into a full community initiative, supported by volunteers like Ebony White, Kellie Jean, Danielle Buckley, Cassandra Caisse, and Mariely Naciso, who help manage appointments and keep the space running smoothly.

For Merryman, this collective effort reflects something larger about her city.

“We live in a melting pot of a city… and everybody just wants to give back,” she said.

That spirit extends beyond prom and Halloween; she and her husband have also organized summer basketball programs and other seasonal events for families.

From pancake breakfasts with the Easter Bunny to letters sent from Santa, Merryman is constantly finding small ways to recreate the kinds of memories she grew up with.

“It’s just the little things… they’re special,” she said, adding that many of those simple moments feel lost in today’s fast-paced, digital world.

Looking ahead, Merryman isn’t focused on expansion or scaling the project into something larger. Instead, she wants to preserve what makes it meaningful.

“Sometimes… if you try to do more, the actual magic… gets lost,” she said. “My only goal… is just to keep it going.”

For anyone in need of prom attire, they can contact the Facebook page Lynnerati.