Click on each question to display the answer.
Q: If I am a registered collection site, am I responsible for the cost of shipping?
A: Yes. By completing the application to become a registered collection site, you are agreeing that you will pay for any and all expenses related to the shipping or delivery of the candy that you collect. Soldiers’ Angels is not responsible for shipping costs, will not reimburse shipping costs, and will not accept any deliveries sent as COD (cash on delivery). You must cover the cost of shipping the candy to the address you select from the Soldiers’ Angels database via your online profile.
If recipient locations are available near you, you can choose to deliver the candy, but you must make arrangements with that recipient. Some bases cannot accept individual deliveries due to base security and protocols and some units only work on drill weekends, so be prepared to ship your candy to your selected locations! We will not facilitate delivery! If it cannot be arranged between you and the recipient, you will have to ship it!
We understand that candy can be heavy… which means that shipping expenses can be costly. In order to avoid paying more than anticipated for shipping, we suggest that you have a shipping budget in mind before you agree to become a collection site. We cannot tell you, in advance of your collection, if there will be recipient locations near you available to drop off your candy, so please be prepared to ship!
Be sure you research how many pounds of candy you can ship within that budget. Here are some suggestions to keep shipping costs low:
- Ship candy in large boxes. It is possible that it would be more cost-efficient to ship a lot of candy in one large box vs. shipping several small boxes.
- Don’t rely on shipping in “Flat Rate” boxes. Try different options that may include using a larger box and not a flat rate.
- Shop around. Rates have a lot to do with your location and where you are shipping. We recommend getting quotes from all available shipping stores (USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.).
Q: If I register as a collection site, when should I host my collection dates?
A: The purpose of the Treats for Troops campaign is to collect excess Halloween candy. With that in mind, your collection must finish after Halloween is over. If you are just interested in donating your own personal supply of new candy not collecting or buying back the excess candy from children, then you do not need to register to be a collection site. Instead, you can search for another collection site to drop off candy using our online system.
Typically, most collection sites host their collections starting on November 1st. Every site ends their collection on a different day, so please check our website for specific details of each site.
Q: My Scout Group/Club/School/Organization would like to collect candy but we didn’t register as a collection site. What should we do?
A: If you are planning on collecting candy, it is very important that you register yourself as a collection site— especially if you are collecting from a large group like a scout group/club/school/organization! Most registered collection sites will not accept candy from groups, only individuals, because they will incur the cost of shipping or delivery the candy.
If it’s still before October 31, then your site still has time to register as a collection site by clicking here. Please note that Soldiers’ Angels reserves the right to close registration early if the maximum amount of pledged candy is reached.
Q: I am located in San Antonio (or close to San Antonio). Can I drop off my collected candy to your office?
A: The Soldiers’ Angels office is a registered collection site to collect candy from individuals. If you are a family wanting to donate your children’s candy, we will have a collection box in our front lobby. Please refer to the Candy Map for the dates and times for drop off at our location. However, if you are a collection site, or have not registered to be a collection site but have more than a reasonable amount of candy (10 pounds or more), you will need to register as a collection site and will be responsible for shipping your candy/delivering your candy to the recipient location you choose. We cannot accept large candy donations at our location, unless the Soldiers’ Angels office is the recipient location you selected in the portal.
Q: I am located near the address I chose in the database to ship my candy. Can I drop off my collected candy at the address of the Soldiers’ Angels representative?
A: It depends on the recipient location you chose. Some will allow local delivery and some will not (depending on their work hours, base security protocols, security concerns, etc.). You should always be prepared to ship your candy. If local delivery works, that is great—but do not expect it!
Q: Do you pick up candy?
A. No. We do not pick up candy in any location nor do any of the recipient locations in our database! Please do not ask us or them to pick up candy from you or meet you to pick up candy! You must be prepared in advance to ship the candy!
Q. I donated candy at one of the collection sites listed on the Soldiers’ Angels Treats for Troops Candy Map. Can I get a receipt for my donation?
A: Absolutely! If you donated to an official Soldiers’ Angels Treats for Troops collection site, please click here and fill out this form in order to get a receipt for your donation. You will need to know the number of pounds of candy you donated, so be sure to weigh your candy first or fill in your best guestimate!
Please note, not all official collection sites are listed on the Candy Map. The Candy Map only displays the locations open to the general public. If your company, school, or organization is collecting candy privately and not listed on the map, you can also submit the form for a receipt. The location you list on the form must be a location that is registered with us as an official collection site in our database, regardless if it is listed on the map or not.
Q: My company/group/organization collected candy, but we weren’t registered as a collection site. We collected more than we thought– should I drop it off at a collection site?
A: If you collected a small amount of candy (less than a full box), it should be no problem to drop off your collection at a collection site. However, please be considerate of our collection sites and contact them to ensure they are able to accept your candy!!!! Many of our collection sites are dental offices, schools, churches, etc. They are only anticipating that they will collect small amounts of candy from individuals and families—not hundreds of pounds of candy from a large group of people. They will be using their own time and money to pay for the packing and shipping of the candy. If they get a large amount of candy donated at one time, it may cause them to spend a lot more money than they anticipated.
If you collect any more than 10 pounds, please reach out to us. We may still be able to receive the candy at our location in San Antonio, but we cannot guarantee it. If registration is open, please register! Email us hereor call us at210-629-0020.
Q: If I approach the limit of the amount of candy I am able to collect in order to afford all shipping costs, what do I do?
A: Please notify us ASAP by calling 210-629-0020. Let us know that you are at capacity and we will take your location off our searchable collection site map. We also recommend that you post your own notifications on your social media channels and website notifying local individuals that you are full.
Q: Can I donate chocolate? Should it be separated?
A: Yes, you can include chocolate. No, it does not need to be separated.
Q: I collected more candy than anticipated, but can still afford to ship it to you, what do I do? Can I ship it on a pallet?
A: If you exceed your projected collection weight by more than 10% and/or wish to palletize your shipment of candy, you must contact Soldiers’ Angels in advance of sending your shipment by calling 210-629-0020. An overage or a palletized shipment may impact your ship-to address.
Q: I am an individual and I would like to host a collection site at my home. Is that okay?
A: Individuals and families who wish to participate as a collection site can register as a PRIVATE site—which means your address will not be listed on the public collection site map. You will be able to either ship your candy directly to Soldiers’ Angels or choose a recipient to ship to through our system. For the safety of you, your family, and your home, please ensure that you elect to be a private collection site. We will not display home addresses on our searchable map.
Q: I work for a company that would like to host a candy collection, but we only want the collection to be for our employees. Can we register but not be listed on the searchable map?
A: Definitely! When you register as a drop-off site you will be prompted as to whether you would like this to be a private or public collection. To keep your location off the map, please select private. If you do select public and find that you are getting too many donations, feel free to email us or call us and we can change your listing from public to private.
Q: Are there any other candy collection guidelines?
A: Just a few! But they are pretty easy:
- Individually wrapped candy is preferred, but we will accept unopened small bags of loose candy such as candy corn, jelly beans, etc.
- NO homemade or handmade candy.
- NO baked goods, homemade or store-bought
- YES we take chocolate and it does not need to be separated
