Halloween is over and Veterans Day is here, but students are still haunted by piles of leftover candy.
As students recover from the chaos of Halloween, many find bags of candy piling up in their rooms. One way to get rid of this extra candy and show gratitude for the troops on Veterans Day is to donate the candy to organizations that ship care packages to our service members.
One organization that ships these care packages is Operation Gratitude . Operation Gratitude allows candy to be donated from a company, group, or individual. The donations can even be sent in honor of a friend or family member.
“We want our veterans to smile and to feel valued and appreciated. We also want them to know that grateful Americans are here supporting them,” said Nancy Levy, a representative from Operation Gratitude.
The 2015 Candy for the Troops candy collection drive ends on Nov. 15. However, care packages are accepted throughout the year. Other items that can be included in the candy care packages are individually packaged toothbrushes and dental floss.
Senior Glenn Smyth said, “It’s important to send candy and any other items because the veterans need other things as well. Regardless of what you send, care packages are good for morale and they show support for our service members.”
Operation Gratitude sends the care packages to deployed troops, veterans, wounded warriors, first responders, new recruits and even children whose parents have been deployed.
Last year, over 400,000 pounds of candy were collected for the troops and 150,000 care packages were sent. This year, Operation Gratitude hopes to collect and send even more packages.
Overall, donating to Operation Gratitude, or any similar organizations, is a way to show appreciation for veterans while helping to clear out leftover Halloween candy.
