[RCIAG]

http://opgrat.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/halloween-candy-for-the-troops/

I've never done it before & it looks like you really need to follow their instrutions to the T, but I'd rather send it to the troops than take it to work & have someone take all the Hershey bars because "my son LOVES these!! I'll take 'em for his lunch!"

Um...nope. I don't put candy in that bowl to fund YOUR kid's lunch. You had the kids, you can pay for their own damn candy. At the very least don't say out loud that's what you're going to do with it.

So I'm gonna send the "good stuff" to the troops instead. They need it & will appreciate it more.

 

[Scatterbrains]

I think if you take the candy you bought and send it to the troops...good on ya,

But we have local dentists trading dental service coupons for candy and then sending the candy to the troops. That bugs me and gives me another reason to hate dentists. I did not buy candy to hand it out so that a parent can trade it in for a voucher, nor do I think it's some great altruistic act by the dental community. First, the fact they give out vouchers means they charge too much for their services to begin with....and they're probably writing it off on their taxes. If they want to send some candy to the troops....go buy some candy and send it to the troops. And troops don't need candy anyway, they need to know that their families back here have food on their tables....it's sad but many of our military installations here in the states have food pantries...if you want to help the troops, donate there.

 

[RCIAG]

Once that candy is outta my hands I don't care what anyone does with it & you can't control that. You should stop handing out anything then if you don't want someone to do something you disapprove of with it. In fact, I'd bet that half the candy we give out ends up at the workplace of family members & not in the kids bellies. The day after Halloween I have at least 3 bags of leftovers or candy people don't want their kids to have on my desk for the front candy jar.

That link also has other ways to donate. They also send other care packages or just donate money to them to cover their costs for postage & packages.

They're called Operation Gratitude
http://opgrat.wordpress.com/

We did a variation of this at work several times but with things like socks, toothpaste, books, DVDs, candy too, just stuff they'd requested. Several people at work had kids in the military & we sent stuff they'd requested, certain candy included.

 

[Blarghity]

Scatterbrains, as much as you dislike the fact that dentists are writing off those vouchers as donations, anyone who saved their receipts for candy can technically write off a portion of the Halloween candy cost if they're donating the leftovers to Operation Gratitude.

EDIT: My bad. Nobody is writing anything off as a donation. Operation Gratitude apparently never bother to register for nonprofit status.

 

[Scatterbrains]

Once that candy is outta my hands I don't care what anyone does with it & you can't control that. You should stop handing out anything then if you don't want someone to do something you disapprove of with it. In fact, I'd bet that half the candy we give out ends up at the workplace of family members & not in the kids bellies. The day after Halloween I have at least 3 bags of leftovers or candy people don't want their kids to have on my desk for the front candy jar.

That link also has other ways to donate. They also send other care packages or just donate money to them to cover their costs for postage & packages.

They're called Operation Gratitude
http://opgrat.wordpress.com/

We did a variation of this at work several times but with things like socks, toothpaste, books, DVDs, candy too, just stuff they'd requested. Several people at work had kids in the military & we sent stuff they'd requested, certain candy included.

Maybe I should have a survey for my ToTs as to what they're going to do with it so I know whether to give the candy to them.

 

[RCIAG]

I know you're being snarky but actually think that's an interesting idea. I'd love to hear what the kids say, I bet it'd be hilarious. I'm sure their parents would have a totally different answer but I bet the kids would have some good answers.

I think they are a non-profit too.

http://www.operationgratitude.com/about-us/mission-statement-facts/

Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-based corporation, funded entirely by private donations. For safety and security, the assembling of packages occurs at the Army National Guard Armory in Van Nuys, California.

Since its inception in March, 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have assembled and shipped more than One Million Care Packages.

FTR I have no connections to them, I just saw them mentioned on Jimmy Kimmel & thought I'd pass the option on to folks here.

 

[Scatterbrains]

I think Jimmy Kimmel's video shows what the kids think about it

 

[GiggleingGhost]

http://opgrat.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/halloween-candy-for-the-troops/

I've never done it before & it looks like you really need to follow their instrutions to the T, but I'd rather send it to the troops than take it to work & have someone take all the Hershey bars because "my son LOVES these!! I'll take 'em for his lunch!"

Um...nope. I don't put candy in that bowl to fund YOUR kid's lunch. You had the kids, you can pay for their own damn candy. At the very least don't say out loud that's what you're going to do with it.

So I'm gonna send the "good stuff" to the troops instead. They need it & will appreciate it more.

Hey Rciag,

Several of us donated candy but since we have no kids at home we loaded up at the 50% candy sales. We've donated stuff before and several men and women that served in Afghanistan and Iraq were very QUICK to tell us how much stuff like this means to them. If they're willing to serve I'm willing to help their sweet tooth!!! Lololololol. Good idea and thanks for posting . . . a soldier somewhere might get a Bit-o-Honey from home!

GiggleingGhost

 

[Bruzilla]

Weird as it sounds they need tampons too. The guys like to carry around a handful of them in case they get shot. They stick the tampon into the wound, it expands, and stops blood loss better than bandages do.

 

[Ween12amEternal]

Thanks for mentioning this! Our local radio station did this & we gave a bunch of leftover (unused) bags of fun size candy for this it. Topic adjacent: We're also doing the cards for the troops too. Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes

 

[MichaelMyers1]

Thanks for sharing..this is a great idea! I gave our leftovers to a friends son whose parents are divorced. The last two years he has been at his dads and his dad was too lazy to take him out for Trick -Or-Treating. He was so excited to get a bag full of treats! Many years I have had extra and used to take it to work. Now that I am my own boss, there is nowhere to take it so I will send it on!!!