ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- Vibrant Communities of Elkhart County announced the Little BIG Idea Grant 2.0's first winner is Goshen resident Rebekah Whirledge.

The $500 grant will help Whirledge fund her 2025 Halloween Book Giveaway.

Whirledge is a mother of one and a literacy advocate with children’s book publisher PaperPie Books.

Whirledge states she envisioned and created the Halloween Book Giveaway to harness for greater effect the unique community interactions and neighborhood connections that make Halloween beloved and special for kids.

"Rebekah's Halloween Book Giveaway is a perfect example of why the Little BIG Idea Grant program was created in 2017," said Bil Murray, the Little BIG Idea Grant project manager. "She had a great idea to promote community literacy, and she took action. She brought a free, community book fair to life with the help of a matching grant program offered by her company, PaperPie. Her Halloween Book Giveaway event was wildly successful in 2024 and thrilled hundreds of young trick-or-treaters while promoting a great community cause. We are proud that our Little BIG Idea Grant award will help her to present her Halloween Book Giveaway once again in 2025."

In October, Whirledge's book-fair-style event on her front lawn served hundreds of trick-or-treating visitors by giving out candy and over 600 new books for kids to hand-select.

Whirledge says the grant will be matched at 50 percent by PaperPie, through the company's Literacy for a Lifetime program.

That will give Whirledge $750 to purchase new books for children and plan her 2025 Halloween Book Giveaway.

Elkhart County residents of all ages interested in the Little BIG Idea Grant program can view the application form and submit their ideas here.