The December holidays don’t need to be the only time of the year that you give charitably! Halloween is the perfect excuse to do something sweet in the spirit of the spooky. Let’s be honest, most years you have way too much leftover candy. You never want to leave any trick-or-treaters empty bucketed. Combine that with the haul the kiddos heave home and it’s a recipe for a cavity (and some extra pounds). Satisfy your sweet tooth and then do something good with your candy!
This Halloween, I challenge you to make a simple, but significant donation of un-opened, wrapped candy in lieu of an unnecessary sugar rush. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Treats for Troops
Treats for Troops, run by 501(c)(3) Soldiers’ Angels, collaborates with businesses (like dentist offices!) to be candy collection centers. The treats are then collected and distributed to soldiers stationed overseas, wounded service personnel, and veterans. By searching for a drop-off site near me, I found two within a reasonable distance.
Ronald McDonald House
The Ronald McDonald House does amazing work assisting families of sick children by providing a comfortable, affordable place to stay during treatment as well as good food (anything is better than hospital food!). There’s a local Ronald McDonald House here in Iowa City; contact them about dropping off your Halloween candy to make some kiddos (who may not have been able to trick-or-treat) very happy.
Operation Gratitude
Similar to Treats for Troops, Operation Gratitude compiles and sends care packages to first responders in the U.S. and service personnel stationed overseas. The organization’s mission is simple, but significant: to put a smile on soldiers’ faces. Along with donations of leftover candy, you can send encouraging letters, postcards, and pictures. Drop-off locations can be located on their map.
Pay attention to their do’s and don’ts, including the instruction to “fill out and submit an online Donation Form with the total pounds of candy and any additional donated items. You will receive an email confirmation with a printable barcode to include in your package, along with shipping instructions.” The organization needs your candy shipped by 11/9!
What other ideas do you have for donating leftover, extra candy? Let me know on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!