How a haunted house in Maryland is raising funds for foster youth

A haunted house in Anne Arundel County is bringing more than just scares this Halloween. One Odenton man is transforming his driveway into a spooky experience to help make the holiday season brighter for teenagers in foster care.

For the second year in a row, Jahnin Smith has turned his garage and driveway in the Woodlands community into an elaborate haunted house, complete with animatronics, interactive scenes, and plenty of Halloween scares.

Smith, a retired military veteran and foster parent, spent weeks preparing the attraction.

"A little over 40 hours of putting this together," Smith said. "We put the tent up maybe about three weeks ago."

A heartwarming mission

Behind all the fright is a heartwarming mission. Smith and his wife are registered foster parents in Anne Arundel County and founded the nonprofit organization "Love, Balance, and Bloom" to provide additional resources and support for young people in the foster care system, particularly teenagers living in group homes.

"We just wanted to do more because we know there's a lot of kids out there that need that mentorship, that need that extra support," Smith said.

Through the nonprofit, foster youth can request essential items and other resources that they may not otherwise have access to.

"We've had requests come in for laptops, we've had requests come in for sneakers, we've had requests come in for clothes," Smith said.

This Halloween, the couple is using their neighborhood haunted house to raise money to help make the upcoming holiday season special for teenagers living in group homes.

Admission is just $1 for adults, while children can enter for free. Additional donations are welcome, but Smith says the goal is to keep the experience affordable for everyone.

"We're hoping people give more, but we're trying to make it really affordable — give what you can, and if you can't, just still enjoy the experience," Smith said.

Last year, approximately 450 people visited the haunted house, with some traveling from as far away as Baltimore and Upper Marlboro.

"It's all worth it in the end."

Smith hopes this year's attraction will draw an even bigger crowd while raising awareness about the needs of foster youth and encouraging more families to consider becoming foster parents.

"It's all rewarding in the end, when they see the laughter, the joy, more people knowing about my organization, more people signing up to be foster parents so it's all worth it in the end," Smith said.

The haunted house is located in the Woodlands community at the end of Upper Patuxent Ridge Road in Odenton.

The event features two different Halloween experiences:

Friday, Oct. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m.: Family Night, recommended for children ages 5 to 11, features lighter scares and no live actors.

Saturday, Oct. 31, from dusk to 9:30 p.m.: Fright Night, recommended for ages 12 and older, features live actors, animatronics, and a more intense haunted house experience.

Admission is $1 for adults and free for children, with additional donations welcome.

All proceeds will support Love, Balance, and Bloom's mission of helping young people in foster care.

For more information about the nonprofit or ways to support its mission, click here.