Halloween is over, and if you have bags of candy left over, you can donate it instead of letting it sit in a cabinet. The Austin American-Statesman put together a list of places in the Austin area that will take your extra candy this year.
Lots of families end up with more candy than they can eat after trick-or-treating. Donating it is an easy way to put it to good use instead of throwing it away.
What this means for you
If you have extra candy, you don't have to just toss it or eat it all yourself. Groups in the Austin area are ready to collect it and send it somewhere it can help someone else.
This site exists to make stories like this easy to follow. You should not need a dictionary to understand the news, and you should not have to dig through a long article just to find out where to drop off your candy.
Here are some general options to think about if you want to donate candy this week:
- Check with local dentist offices. Many dental practices run candy buyback programs each year and may offer cash or prizes in exchange for candy.
- Look into programs that send candy to troops overseas. National groups collect candy donations and mail them to deployed service members.
- Ask area food banks or shelters if they accept candy donations. Some will take it to include in food boxes or give out to families in need.
- Check your child's school. Some schools collect candy after Halloween as part of a class project or charity drive.
- Search for local donation drives in your neighborhood. Community groups and churches sometimes set up short-term collection bins in early November.
Before you drop anything off, call ahead or check online to confirm what a group will accept. Some only want unopened, factory-sealed candy, and some may have a specific window of time for drop-offs.
If you are not sure where to start, the Austin American-Statesman list is a good first stop for specific addresses and drop-off times in your part of town. Take a few minutes today to check that list or call a dentist's office near you, and get your leftover candy to someone who can use it before it goes to waste.
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