Halloween Candy and Charity Go Hand in Hand

 
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For many families Halloween is a favorite holiday. Who doesn’t love dressing up and going out trick-or-treating? One of the best parts is returning home at the end the night and counting out your loot! However, many parents will soon agonize over the tons of candy our little ones have managed to haul home.

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We don’t want our kids to eat all those sweet treats, but even more importantly, we don’t want eat them. And who can resist a giant bowl of confiscated Halloween candy?

So what do you do? Get it out of your house! But don’t throw it away! Use this as a thoughtful, charitable activity to do with your children by donating your left over Halloween candy to our troops.

There are several easy options to help donate your Halloween candies. First, many local schools and churches will set up Halloween candy distribution centers to collect candy for our troops overseas. If there is no local collection center consider mailing your left over candy one of these organizations that will distribute for you.

Simply follow the detailed instructions on Operation Gratitude’s Halloween Candy for the Troops page about how, when and where to mail your left over candy. Your children can donate their candy and write a letter to the troops thanking them for their service.

https://opgrat.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/halloween-candy-for-the-troops/  (requests donations are made by November 15, 2016)

Soldiers' Angels takes all types of candy - loose, bagged, full size, miniatures. If it is candy, they’ll take it and distribute it for you to the troops.  Simply fill out a registration form and the organization will be in contact with you regarding details on where your candy can be shipped.

https://soldiersangels.formstack.com/forms/treats  (accepting donations through December 11, 2016)

Operation Shoebox accepts candy donations throughout the year, especially around holidays.  Simply mail bags of individually wrapped candies to them and they will include your candies in their shipped care packages.

http://www.operationshoebox.com/how-you-can-help/candy-donations/ (donations accepted year round)

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Another option is to look for local organizations who sponsor Halloween Candy Buybacks. Often your dentist or orthodontist offices will “buy back” candy to distribute to the troops. It can be fun for your child to walk in with a bag of left over Halloween candy and walk out with a reward such as cash, coupons, toothbrushes, small toys and other creative exchanges. Visit www.halloweencandybuyback.com or http://signup.operationgratitude.com/halloween-candy-give-back-map to find a participating location near you.

Remember, once Halloween is under your belt, you don’t want to have to loosen your belt!  So instead of eating all that left over Halloween candy use it to engage in a small charitable act with your children that can bring a smile to a soldier’s face.

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