What Are You Going to Do with ALL Your Leftover Halloween Candy?

Here’s an idea – instead of keeping all that candy you don’t give out tonight for yourself, your kids, your co-workers at work, why not do something better with it? You don’t want to go into the holiday season a few pounds heavier to start with, right?

How about sending your extra candy to the troops overseas?

You can make a soldier smile and teach your kids about giving.

If you Google “Halloween candy to troops” you find all kinds of dentists across the country who “buy back” the candy – usually for about $1 per pound up to 10 pounds.

They then send it overseas through any of the fantastic care packages for troops programs such as Operation Gratitude and America’s Mighty Warriors.  

I found this website www.halloweencandybuyback.com which allows dentists to register their practices to participate and also lets you search your zip code and a mileage range to find a dentist near you who is participating.

I entered my zip code and found 16 dentists within a 30-mile radius who are participating!  This website also has a couple of videos from Operation Gratitude that are a must-see.

Besides candy, the website also offers the following suggested items to donate:

• Beanie Babies/WebKinz or other small stuffed animals
• Hand-Knit/Crochet Scarves and Hats
• Small packages Beef Jerky
• Individual Packets of Hot Cereal
• Computer Flash Drives
• Commercially sealed Lip Balm, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, mouthwash
• Personal Letters of Appreciation

I also found this website The Fun Times Guide  which has a huge list of great stuff to send, including some suggestions for simple games she got from a Marine she knows.  Some of the stuff on here you wouldn’t think of, such as cans of air to blow dust out of electronics.

Sometimes, the care packages are the only pieces of mail the soldiers receive while they’re deployed, besides their bills from back home. When you send your candy and a note, you are guaranteed to put a smile on an overseas soldier’s face.

It’s a huge morale boost for them, according to the letters posted on the Operation Gratitude website.

What a great lesson too for your kids. What if you have them portion out what they collect tonight to send away too? It might be hard for them to part with the goods, but it’s a great lesson in giving a little back. Show them the videos and tell them they are helping someone who might not get anything else all year.

According to www.halloweencandbuyback.com, Operation Gratitude sent over 60 TONS of care package goods last year. That’s 120,000 pounds.

If you are interested in organizing a candy collection event in your community, they have instructions on exactly what you will need and frequently asked questions to help you get set up.

You can follow Operation Gratitude on Twitter at www.twitter.com/OpGratitude  and “like” them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OperationGratitude.