Did you know that Halloween is one of the best times of the year to teach your kids about the joys of sharing? Seriously. The holiday that typically focuses on the philosophy of gimmie, gimmie, gimmie, get, get, get, can also yield a valuable lesson in sharing with others.
Whereas most kids would rather go to bed an hour early each night rather than share some of their Halloween loot, with a little prompting you can help your children make a huge difference by spreading out their candy wealth.
There are dozens of organizations looking for Halloween candy donations this year including:
Ronald McDonald House Charities: The popular children’s charity accepts Halloween candy leftovers. The group repackages the sugary sweets and distributes them to families at their local branches.
Meals-on-Wheels: Programs such as Citymeals-on-Wheels and God’s Love We Deliver happily accept extra Halloween candy, as do other food pantries from coast-to-coast.
Operation Gratitude: This worthwhile organization sends care packages to our troops overseas and is more than happy to collect any extra Halloween candy your kids are willing to cough up. In addition to the sweet treats, this year, the group is asking parents to encourage their children to include a letter of support to the men and women serving our country in foreign lands.
Any Solider: This is another admirable group that collects excess Halloween candy to share with soldiers overseas. Not only do they accept candy donations, the organization also allows you to specify which armed service branch you want to receive your child’s leftover Sour Patch Kids and 100 Grand Bars.
If you prefer to donate locally, then consider dropping off your kids’ candy stash at hospital pediatric wards or area nursing homes. Most give out the extra treats along with the meals they serve. In addition, many churches, synagogues and other religious groups accept Halloween cast-offs, which they then turn around and donate to those in need.
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