Too Much Halloween Candy? Try Donating It This Year

Halloween will be here and gone before you know it. If you're like most intrepid, kid-friendly neighborhood-dwellers, you're already dreading the inevitable stock of leftover candy you'll undoubtedly acquire thanks to all those tempting aisle caps — and chocolate manufacturers' abject refusal to put all your faves in a single bag.

But the only thing you have to fear the day after Halloween this year is egg and TP cleanup duty. Multiple organizations gladly take donations of Halloween candy to pass out to various deserving groups, including servicemembers, sick children, or other local communities in need, even if it's Halloween's worst candy around.

Whether you're a parent whose kids cleaned up in an upscale neighborhood (full bars!) or a friendly neighbor who loves kids but hates sugary leftovers, you can find a charity in your area to take those bite-size confections off your hands. You might even get a tax deduction in the process.

Several organizations reliably accept Halloween candy donations every year if you've got one in your area. For example, the Soldiers' Angels' Treats for Troops program lets you share your leftover Halloween stash with members of the U.S. Military. Kids can even get buyback prizes for participating. There's also the annual Halloween Candy Buyback program, which partners with local businesses, often dentists, to give children sugar-free candies, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and special prizes in exchange for their donations.

If you'd prefer some of your spooky treats go to other kids, some local chapters of the Ronald McDonald House Charities may take donations, though some may want them before Halloween, depending on their plans. If you don't have access to any of those charities, look into local food pantries, homeless shelters, or nursing homes. If you can't find one, reach out to a local nonprofit to find out how you can help them start one.

Just note that they may not take everything. Expect them to restrict donations to individually wrapped (or at least unopened bags of loose) candy — no homemade treats, no matter how professional your snack board looks. And while most obviously accept chocolate, do ask. They may have different guidelines for those so they don't melt. Other than that, you can probably pop them into a bag and drop them off for others to enjoy.