Wondering What To Do With That Excess Halloween Candy?

In my totally amateur opinion, I'd guess people ingest thousands of extra calories and subject their teeth and metabolic systems to overload simply because they can't bring themselves to part with otherwise unwanted excess Halloween candy. Well, I've got the solution for you!  Give it back...with gratitude!

Have I got your attention yet?  Good. Then let me backtrack a bit. First with a tiny bit of my background and the purpose for this blog. (If you'd like to skip this part, you won't hurt my feelings; I'll likely not find out... You can just skip down to the ** below.)

I've known for years that my older son was military-bound. And I've been very proud of that. Nothing, however, prepared me for the emptiness that I felt when he was away at basic training for the Air Force.  He's currently at tech training in Mississippi, and although we have daily contact, there is still a huge void in my life.

I've also, for the past ten years or so, done extensive knitting and crocheting for donations, mainly to the less fortunate, premature infants, and the military.  In particular, for the last group, I have donated several pairs to "Socks for Soldiers," a group that collects hand knitted socks, and sends them off to deployed soldiers. Trivia break... Did you know that it takes me, an accomplished knitter, 47 hours to knit a pair of socks? (Yes, I actually timed it; kept a special stopwatch next to my knitting basket for an entire pair.)

I've always known that there were organizations out there that try to "give back" to our military. I got to see this first hand when I went to Texas for my son's BMT graduation.  There we were in beautiful and historic San Antonio Texas, where, under different circumstances my newly graduated Airman would be soaking up the culture. But the highlight of his only day off base in nine weeks was his visit to the USO. It was amazing how appreciative he was for the air conditioned center of technology and leisure that he had been denied for so many weeks. I guess that's when it really hit home how much we civilians take for granted. To me, it was just an X-box and a pool table, but so much more to him. When I returned from that trip, I looked into volunteering. Unfortunately, there are no USOs local to Jefferson, so I opted for the American Red Cross, another great organization. And I continued with my knitting and crocheting, building up my supply of the hundreds of caps that I donate around the holidays and through the cold winter months. At some point last week, I recalled hearing about an organization that utilizes leftover candy donations in care packages to deployed soldiers and it occurred to me that this would be the perfect opportunity to honor my son and help give back.

**Project Gratitude is a non-profit organization that "annually sends 100,000 care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in hostile regions, to their children left behind and to Wounded Warriors recuperating in Transition Units." (Yup, copied and pasted right from their website.) I have enlisted the support of several Jefferson Township Schools, as well as (so far just) one local business to collect excess Halloween candy to be sent off to these recipients.  What better way to get rid of the candy you overbought or your children's excess loot than to pass it on?

Currently, plans are set for collection boxes to be set up at Milton, Cozy Lake, Stanlick Schools, along with JTHS.  PostNet, on the Lake Hopatcong side of town, has agreed to set up a collection box as well. (I am still trying to figure out what business on the Milton side may be able to help out so if anyone has any ideas, feel free to let me know.) Collection will be from November 1st to 7th.

This blog will attempt to substantiate my hopeful success with my first community outreach project and possibly encourage others to give back, as well.

To learn more about Operation Gratitude, you can visit their website, http://www.operationgratitude.com/about/

To contact me directly with any questions, you may email me at kuzmakrafts@gmail.com

Stay tuned...