It's the day after Halloween, and I'm looking at an enormous bowl of candy for my two boys. So are a lot of you.
I've been getting a handful of Good Questions like this from Steve: "Looking for good suggestions on where to donate candy left over from Oct 31."
The Wall Street Journal has a few suggestions:
Donate to the Ronald McDonald House. The local
Wish List doesn't have candy on it, but the WSJ says they do take candy. They're open 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday. The Minneapolis Ronald McDonald House is at 818 Fulton St. SE, 612.331.5752.
Operation Shoebox sends candy to overseas troops, but
they prefer heat-resistant candy. So that doesn't help you get rid of all those Kit Kat bars. Still, if you have a lot of suckers and hard candy, that may be an option for you. (UPDATE:
HERE'S HOW TO SEND HALLOWEEN CANDY TO OP. SHOEBOX)
A local orthodontist offers
a candy buy-back program, you can drop off candy on November 2 at 3340 Sherman Ct. in Eagan. That candy gets shipped to troops.
Metro Dental Care does the same thing, drop off November 2nd from 4pm-7pm. They donate to Operation Gratitude, and
Second Harvest Food Shelf.
I've checked a handful of websites for local food shelves, and none ask for candy on their wish lists (which is understandable- they're trying to feed the hungry with nourishing, nutritious foods). BUT, this time of year, I imagine they're not going to turn down candy. So call ahead before you donate.
In the DeRusha house, the candy often ends up in the WCCO newsroom, where it disappears faster than a ghost on Halloween night.
Amy Rea, author of our
Wander MN blog,
notes: "
I have friends who hang onto the more colorful candies to use on gingerbread houses for Christmas." Good idea!
