Looking to donate that extra Halloween candy? (Your scale says yes, please.)

Like it's not bad enough that my kids toooootally ignored the extra hour of sleep thing this morning, they also started their day (at 6:20 AM) by plunging headfirst into the piles of candy. We told them they could pick 7 pieces of candy to keep, and the rest of their Halloween hoard -- or at least the leftover candy daddy doesn't steal -- they're donating.

Our associate editor Christina just turned us onto some great options for Halloween candy donation, and we thought we'd add a few more to the list:

 

*Operation Gratitude sends care packages to our troops overseas, and your gummy bears and mini Snickers are more than welcome, especially when your kids include a nice letter of support too. You just pay to ship to California, but an extra $11 donation covers overseas postage. But keep in mind the non-melty stuff is best, or if you send chocolate, you might want to put it in a Zip-Loc first.

*Any Soldier will also let you donate candy, and you can even specify which armed service branch, if you have a preference. But that's too hard for us - we like them all. Another option is Operation Shoebox.

*Ronald McDonald House Charities accepts candy donation for kids. You can search for a local branch here.

*Local shops may have programs like Magic Beans does around Boston - they'll donate your candy to the USO, and in exchange give you a coupon for 25% off a new toy. (Hopefully not a candy toy.) Here's a list of their store locations.

*Food pantries, pediatric wards and nursing homes are happy to be able to give out a treat along with the meals. In New York, I'm a fan of programs like Citymeals-on-Wheels and God's Love We Deliver.

*Finally, churches, synagogues and other places of worship generally have candy drop-offs, if not to donate then at least to hand out to the kids. Better theirs than yours maybe? -Liz

[thanks christina! photo: bellahope]

Find More: Causes and General Do-Gooding, Holiday Picks