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The tender beginnings of Halloween

What’s the true meaning of Halloween?  Get all the candies? Actually, sweet friend, the true meaning of Halloween was originally meant to remember the dead, including saints, martyrs, and all the faithful departed. In the spirit of all of those inspiring heroes here’s my list of ways to do good and thus feel good.  Happy do gooding!

#1) Donate candy to deployed troops, veterans, & first responders

Step 1) Ask your kids if they want to participate in the do-goodery and donate their candy from trick-or treating to the troops.  (Some parents offer a candy swap for a small toy.)  Another option is to organize a candy drive at your school, office, or other organization.

https://www.operationgratitude.com/express-your-thanks/halloween-candy/

Step 2) Find a drop off location for the treats using the map on the O.G. site.

Locally in San Luis Obispo, California two offices are collecting candy!

R&R Dental Care at:

Robert Flores, D.M.D. & Robyn Flores, D.M.D.

973 E. Foothill Boulevard, Suite 101
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
Phone: (805) 544-9440
info@rrdentalcare.com

Also

Ryan M. Ross, DDS

11545 Los Osos Valley Rd Ste A, San Luis Obispo, 93405 United States

jesse@ryanrossdds.com

 (805) 541-5800

OR

Mail the candy yourself using the instructions on the Operation Gratitude website.

Step 3) Consider making a donation toward the shipping costs.

Step 4) Like the Candy Give Back Page and OperationGratitude pages on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/HalloweenCandyGiveBackProgram/

https://www.facebook.com.OperationGratitude/

#2) Host a blood drive or donate blood

Organize an on-point theme event for Halloween. . . a bloody epic blood drive! 

The Red Cross people are professionals and will help you by supplying posters, links to spread the word about your drive, and information on appointments.  Remember one donation can save three lives!!

https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html
https://www.redcrossblood.org/hosting-a-blood-drive/learn-about-hosting/how-hosting-a-blood-drive-works.html

#3) Boo a neighbor

Make your neighborhood fun and build the sense of community in your area by “Booing” your neighbors. You need to gather some treats, sneak up to their porch, and leave the treats to be discovered by your friends/friends to be.  Boo at least three friends.  Just give a little treat, a few cookies or stickers with silly string, no need to go broke.  It’s the thought that counts.  You may or may not leave a note to boo it forward.  If you want your friends to boo it forward there are plenty of cutesy poems on Pinterest for you to copy. In addition to the ‘booing’, there is now a thing called ‘boozing’ where the playdoh and snickers are replaced with booze.





#4) Help Team Lilly bring joy to those kids ‘inside the glass’ this Halloween

The Bumpus family is the most amazing family!  Daughter Lilly was miraculously diagnosed (thanks to a caretakers suggestion to have her seen and her mother’s *demanding* and insisting of care despite doctor’s giving her a clean bill of health) with cancer when she was an infant.  Her odds of surviving were slim to none.  She is now in grade school, cheerleading, selling girl scout cookies, and raising loads of money and support for all children struggling and fighting cancer. (Lilly was living on the Central Coast, CA when she was first diagnosed.)


Lilly, her mother Trish (superhuman strength embodied in one young mother), and their friends put together auctions made up of the neatest things from local craftinistas to bid on the benefit the babes of CHLA year round.  For the Halloween event, they work like crazy around the clock to bring really nice Halloween costumes, ride on toys, soft blankies, pillowcases for collecting candy during trick or treating in the hospital, games, fuzzy socks, fun trinkets, and sweets to the sweeties in treatment.  They also mail care packages to kids battling cancer all over the place.  If you are looking for a fun and easy way to light up the life of a child who is also a cancer warrior and their families this is a great way!  I bid on auction items every year and the items I’ve won have been very special to me.  A sweet pinafore for my six-year-old (same age as Lil), a handmade portrait of my girl, the earring I bid on made by another mother of a child who battled and survived cancer.

Lilly you are so loved!

If you become a part of the Team Lilly tribe your life will be better for it.  They’ve written a children’s book about Lil’s cancer journey, they are in talks with Paramount to have a movie made of their story.  I think most people in the world will know Lilly’s story soon.  Her brilliant life and light are growing every day. You can follow Team Lilly on Facebook or Instagram or on their official site.  It’s an incredible community made up of incredible humanitarians over there!

https://www.instagram.com/lillybumpus_giveforward/
https://www.facebook.com/lilly.bumpus.9/

Have you tried any of these suggestions?  Do you have any more ideas to add to our list of do goodding? 🙂

For more fun ways to celebrate the Halloween holiday read my original article:

4 How You Can Make a Difference this Halloween