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 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 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 Covington Storehouse
Since 1999, Covington Storehouse has been dedicated to serving neighbors who are struggling with, or are vulnerable to food insecurity and poverty, by providing nourishing food. Their vision to improve quality of life extends beyond food security to include distribution of essential hygiene items and diapers as well as referrals to other services for housing, clothing, counseling, and more. Items provided by Ridwell are redistributed by the Covington Storehouse team to hundreds of families and individuals within their client and outreach network.
Partnering with Downtown Emergency Service Center
DESC (the Downtown Emergency Service Center) serves Seattle's most vulnerable population that is experiencing houselessness by providing housing, behavioral and physical health services, and crisis response. Specifically, DESC focuses on the chronically houseless population that is experiencing mental health and physical health challenges, as well as substance use disorders. Their goal is to help clients achieve their highest potential for independence, self-determination, and personal responsibility.
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 Food Lifeline
Food Lifeline is on a mission to end hunger in Western Washington. They provided nutritious food to hundreds of thousands of people facing hunger every year by sourcing nutritious food from a variety of partners, including from Ridwell members! We are working with Food Lifeline on a regular basis to bring your stuff new life from takeout utensils to rubber bands to grocery bags.
Partnering with Northwest Harvest
Northwest Harvest is a food justice organization in Washington state that builds partnerships in communities across Washington to get food where it’s needed most. They provide an average of two million meals a month through our statewide network of over 400 food banks, meal programs, school, and community-based organizations. Northwest Harvest provides nutritious, culturally relevant food to anyone in need, while respecting people’s dignity.
Northwest Harvest is committed to operating as an anti-racist, anti-oppressive organization and are unflinching in their work to transform an unjust food system into one that is more responsive and accountable to the communities most impacted by discrimination.
Partnering with Snohomish Community Food Bank
The Snohomish Community Food Bank (SCFB) was established in 1985 as a nonprofit organization whose main goal was to provide free food to residents in need. Technically considered a Food Pantry, SCFB works with several partners throughout our community to collect food donations to be redistributed back into the community. With the monetary donations received, we purchase produce, dairy, meats, and dry goods so that our clients have access to the freshest and most nutritious food options. With the costs of living rising, we are seeing an increase in shoppers. In 2025, we served over 1,400 families every month! Our Food-2-Go & Growing Minds programs provide weekend groceries to students in the Snohomish School District who are experiencing food insecurity. We offer nutritious, exciting meals and snacks to ensure kids are fed all week long, including the weekend.
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 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 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.
Join the movement to build a future without waste.
