Reverse Trick-Or-Treating On Halloween

This year, when I sent out my kids to stock up on Candy for Mommy in our annual Halloween ritual, they went out loaded with chocolates and good intentions.

Our Girl Scout troop is participating in the Global Exchange Reverse Trick-Or-Treating Campaign. 

I’d heard about this program online, and my daughter was eager to share it with her troop although this might have had something to do with my suggestion to bring Fair Trade chocolate samples to one of our meetings.  Later, the troop was excited to run into a Fair Trade booth at the Salem, MA street fair.  Free hot chocolate, duh!

Tonight, each child is trick-or-treating door-to-door, as usual, but after collecting their loot, they are handing out an informational card with an attached Fair Trade chocolate.  They’re also supposed to be sharing one of the following messages:

• “Thank you!  Here is a Fair Trade chocolate for you!”
• “Here is a card about how to end child slavery on cocoa farms!”
• “Here is a card on how you can help end poverty for cocoa farming families!”

Not surprisingly, some of the kids are fearless about sharing this message, and some are not. 

Maybe it was due to the pouring rain, or the remnants of the cold/flu bug, but my son (an honorary Girl Scout!) ended his trick-or-treating adventure early.  He returned home with a untouched batch of Reverse Trick-or-Treating kits.

Fortunately, my older child, Teen Daughter, perhaps eager to do something about child labor, or more likely eager to increase her Halloween stash, was more than willing to head back out into the storm with those kits.

She’s out there right now, hitting every home with a light on.  Nothing like a hint of chocolate to power goodwill and Take Action Service Projects!

Reverse Trick-Or-Treating:

• Global Exchange Fair Trade Reverse Trick-Or-Treating
• Equal Exchange Reverse Trick-Or-Treating Sign Up 

The Halloween Article Vault:

• It’s All About Candy, The Next Morning – Dogs and Halloween Candy don’t mix.
• It’s All About Candy! – My kids go to great lengths to stock up on candy.
• You’ve Been Booed! – A neighborhood tradition.
• When Your Child Enters The Scary Halloween Years – Leaving the cute costumes behind.
• Jack O Lantern – Video and recipes all about this tradition and the History of Halloween.
• Opting Out of Halloween Tradition – Our costumes, and Halloween Themes, through the years.
• Halloween Hoopla – Putting on the weight during the holidays.

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