Halloween candy
What items can we take?
We can take any candy that is individually-wrapped and free of Halloween branding/designs.
Individually-wrapped candy
Candy bars
Lollipops
Bagged candy
Boxed candy
What isn’t in this category?
Candy wrappers
We can take some plastic candy wrappers in our multi-layer plastic category. Check your multi-layer plastic page for more info!
Open candy
Loose candy
Candy that is expired or past the best by date
Baked goods
Toys
Halloween candy.
Every Halloween, many families end up with extra candy. Halloween candy could come from kids trick-or-treating and getting too much (on average each trick-or-treater consumes 3 cups of sugar!), or it could come from adults who overestimate the number of trick-or-treaters they will get and are left with candy they hope to not get tempted by in the weeks ahead.
Ridwell will pick any extra candy up so it can do good in the community. Instead of getting stale in your cupboard, leftover candy from your home will go to great local partners working on important missions.
Partnering with Compass Housing Alliance
Compass Housing Alliance is fighting the problems of homelessness and lack of affordable housing head-on. Through the development and operation of permanent affordable housing with supportive services, expansive 24/7 enhanced shelter programs, and a robust emergency services hub, Compass helps low-income and unhoused individuals and families in our community end the cycle of homelessness.
Compass began more than 100 years ago in Seattle’s Pioneer Square as a haven for those who were working in the region's earliest industries. Today, their range of services includes a hygiene center, mail services, 222 enhanced emergency shelter beds; and 684 affordable studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units in 20 affordable supportive housing locations. Unique to Compass is their ability to provide shelter and stability to neighbors in need, regardless of where they may be on their journey to home.
Through all its programs, Compass touches the lives of thousands of individuals, families, and Veterans in King County each year. All of Compass’s housing and services programs are informed by guiding principles of stability, growth, and community.
Partnering with YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish
Founded in 1894, YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish has been breaking down barriers to equity for nearly 130 years. YWCA is the region’s oldest and largest organization focused on the needs of women, providing services and advocacy to support stable homes and economic advancement, reduce violence and improve health, and promote racial equity and social justice. With programs that serve 7,000 people each year, YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. Through direct services and advocacy, YWCA helps women and families move from surviving to thriving.
Partnering with West Seattle Mutual Aid Party
West Seattle Mutual Aid Party is a self-organized network dedicated to developing relationships with vulnerable neighbors, currently focused in and around the Delridge corridor in West Seattle. They approach their work with the mindset and intention of engaging in mutual aid rather than charity, meaning that they recognize they are neither “saving” nor “serving” anybody but instead are simply acting in solidarity with others. West Seattle Mutual Aid Party is connected with other mutual aid groups and projects to develop an infrastructure that thus far includes a weekly propane swap for the encampment along with food, medical, hygiene, and harm reduction supplies. They are working to build trust with more community members thus allowing them to expand their reach and impact.
Partnering with Emergency Feeding Program
The mission of Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle & King County (EFP) is to provide an emergency response to the nutritional needs of people in crisis hunger situations throughout Seattle and King County. They are dedicated to alleviating hunger while providing individuals with resources counseling to help move them towards independence.
The EFP was founded in 1977 under the banner of the Black United Clergy for Action and the Church Council of Greater Seattle. The EPF was established specifically to address the following two problems people in need of food assistance were experiencing: (1) the quality of food available tended to depend on the affluence of the neighborhood in which the food bank was located; and (2) it was often difficult, if not impossible, for an individual or family to find everything they needed to make nutritionally balanced meals in a single trip to the food bank.
Partnering with Birthday Dreams
Birthday Dreams is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing joy to homeless children with the gift of a Birthday Party. They were founded on the simple principle that children must have this sense of hope, encouragement and belief that there are people who care so that they can weather the storms of their circumstances. One day, their day, to be free of all burdens and just enjoy the excitement of their birthday party.
So far, Birthday Dreams has planned over 6,700 birthday parties. Each Halloween they collect candy from the community to be used at these special events. Any candy that Birthday Dreams can't accept will be donated to local shelters for their clients.
Partnering with Treehouse
Treehouse envisions — and strives to create — a world where every child who has experienced foster care has the opportunities and support they need to pursue their dreams and launch successfully into independence. They directly support and work alongside more than 6,000 youth in foster care in Washington State, as well as their caregivers, educators, school administrators and social workers, to ensure each young person has an individualized plan and network. Treehouse also advocates for systems-level change, informed by on-the-ground expertise. Through direct programs and advocacy, Treehouse is uniquely positioned to close the opportunity gap and positively change the outcomes of youth who have experienced foster care.
Partnering with Transform Burien
As a 501(c)3 organization and community resource center in Burien, Transform is a Christ-centered outreach ministry of churches intentionally serving neighbors in need by providing basic necessities, access to community resources, and a place of friendship, encouragement, hope, and love. Transform welcomes all people to their facility without requiring identification, registration, or other limiting factors. Alongside their clothing and food bank, they offer a range of free services including hot meals, showers, haircuts, laundry and medical and dental services through the King County Mobile Health Clinic and Dental van. Items provided by Ridwell are distributed directly to anyone that comes through their doors in need of essential resources.
Partnering with Tukwila Pantry
Tukwila Pantry is a non-profit food bank established to serve the residents of the cities of Tukwila, SeaTac, and Burien in a humane and dignified way with food and other referral needs. The Tukwila Pantry is committed to providing food for those in need and educating the community on issues surrounding hunger.
Tukwila Pantry has proudly served the community for over 20 years, adapting to each challenge and better providing for those families that have been overwhelmed by extremely difficult circumstances. They know just how big an impact every donation, whether time or money in any amount, helps the people they serve.
With rent, healthcare, and cost of living outpacing household budgets, the Tukwila Pantry has taken this challenge head-on and adapted their methods and infrastructure to meet the need for food security in our communities, serving more than 500 families each day.
Join the movement to build a future without waste.
