Charitable ways to get rid of your extra Halloween candy

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Too much Halloween candy? Here are a few ways to get rid of the sweets without having to throw them away.

Donate them to the troops.

Operation Gratitude sends care packages to veterans, active service members and more. They accept donations by mail before Nov. 15. You can find information on shipping on their website.

Operation Stars and Stripes is a similar program which is currently collecting donations of excess Halloween candy to fill holiday stockings to be sent to troops overseas. You can find information on how to donate on their website.

Give them to kids in need.

Not all children have the opportunity to trick-or-treat, so you can donate some of your child's extra candy to the Ronald McDonald House to give it to a child in need. You can check for your closest Ronald McDonald House location here; be sure to call first to check what their policy is on candy donations.

Bring them to your dentist's office.

Some dentists and other local businesses participate in a Halloween candy buyback program in which participants buy back a kids' Halloween candy with cash or other creative exchanges. The candy is then sent to charities like Operation Gratitude. You can check for local candy buybacks here.

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