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That leftover Halloween candy can wreak havoc on dental cavities and blood sugar levels.
But don’t fret, there are people and places happy to take them off your hands.
Texas-based Soldiers’ Angels has a Treats for Troops program explicitly for leftover Halloween candy. Soldiers’ Angels offers a searchable map of drop-off sites on its website, soldiersangels.org.
From Addison to Woodstock, Naperville to Wauconda, 13 locations — dental offices, businesses, park districts — are collecting candy now.
Also, food pantries are a good resource as long as the candy is not past its expiration date.
People’s Resource Center, with locations in Wheaton and Westmont, will accept candy in bags or individually sealed Halloween-sized portions. It won’t accept wrapped candies, such as Jolly Rancher or those caramel “bull’s-eyes.” Call (630) 682-5402.
Others, such as the Northfield Township Food Pantry in Glenview, may take those wrapped candies. Call (847) 724-8300.
And food pantries may have different hours for donations than their general business hours. Check first.
At Ronald McDonald House, 0N150 Winfield Road, Winfield, which supports families of children dealing with medical issues, people can come to the door, ring the bell and will be welcomed to drop off their candy donations.
Some schools and school districts accept Halloween candy, which they in turn donate to a variety of recipients, such as fire departments and service agencies.
The Kimball Hill Parent Teacher Association in Rolling Meadows has a specific need. It seeks sealed, Halloween-sized packages of Skittles for an upcoming event. Reach KHPTA1@gmail.com for details.
That nugget was gleaned from a crowdsourcing request that produced a number of options, including McCall Family Dentistry in Geneva, which sends candy to Support Over Stigma, and Westgate Dental Care in Arlington Heights, which donates leftover candy to military personnel. Both of those programs run through Saturday.
Dentists may provide a “buyback” option as an incentive for their young patients to relinquish their candy.
Veterans and military personnel are prime recipients of leftover treats. Operation Support Our Troops, (630) 971-1150, has two drop-off locations for Halloween candy donations in Lisle and Naperville.
Move America Forward, (916) 441-6197, in Sacramento, California, receives about 25,000 pounds of Halloween candy annually, which it sends to troops deployed. People can ship boxes or even pallets by the end of 2023.
The candy becomes part of care packages requested by families or service members themselves and includes a personal message.
“When all the items are used up,” said Move America Forward outreach director Scott Raab, “the personal message is what’s important.”
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