If you feel like your house has too much Halloween candy in it, you're not alone -- and that’s a good thing! Primerrily has a plan to help reduce the pile (and your kids' sugar intake), while demonstrating gratitude. Share the sweetness of Halloween candy with veterans and active duty through Operation Gratitude’s Halloween Candy Give-Back Program.
Operation Gratitude (OG) is on a mission to thank every military member in uniform who serves or has served our nation. Since 2003, OG has sent 2,445,725 care packages. And with the Global War on Terrorism -- our nation's longest war -- still being fought, over 200,000 service members continue to deploy annually. Let's continue to send packages and to support our American heroes! A veteran friend of Primerrily said one of the most precious care packages he received while overseas on active duty was from OG.
While OG delivers care packages year-round, it’s Halloween Candy Give-Back Program is seasonal, easy, and fun: Package up some of your leftover candy, toss in some supplies from this list, and add some thank you cards. Adults can write notes, and children can dictate words of appreciation to parent scribes. Drawing pictures and coloring sheets are encouraged! You can find some printables here.
My dad is one of the veterans who received a box. He was blown away with the care and thoughtfulness put into the package. My mom was also touched by the fact that she wasn't the only one remembering him.
I did this for Veterans Day 2019, and it was a huge hit with our family and friends. I left a few empty boxes in front of my house and sent an email to friends encouraging them to drop off the extra Halloween candy they wanted out of the house but felt bad to mindlessly toss out. In the email, I attached the list referenced above in case people wanted to provide some extra goodies (e.g. lip balm, sewing kits, etc.). I also attached some coloring sheets to print so kids could color them and include as part of the care package. As a way of saying “thank you” -- and to try to spread visual awareness of Veterans Day -- I ordered a bunch of American flags and stickers and left them outside as well for friends to take as a small thank you.
Note: it can quickly get expensive shipping everyone’s candy even using USPS Priority Shipping boxes. Based on my experience, here's the way to make the biggest impact while being economical:
- Send an email to friends (feel free to copy/paste the first paragraph of this article)
- Encourage friends to pack and ship their own boxes by sharing your own experience packing and shipping care packages with your own little platoon of patriots helping out!
- Ask them to let you know once their care package has shipped!
- Thank them for joining you in celebrating Veterans Day, as well as supporting our active duty heroes in uniform. Consider sending your fellow OG supporters some American flags for their front yard, or purchase a pack so you can drop off a few at each friends' house:
OG’s overall mission is “To forge strong bonds between Americans and their Military and First Responder Heroes through volunteer service projects, acts of gratitude, and meaningful engagements in communities nationwide.” So please share with Primerrily how your OG Halloween Candy mission was accomplished!
Comments