A kid's idea, about ten years on.
CandyForKids started around 2015, when Arjun Garg and his family began saving leftover Halloween candy and sharing it with kids who didn't get any.
Today it's run by a team of youth volunteers who collect and share candy through the year, especially around Halloween.
Our story, in Arjun's words
Every Halloween I came home with more candy than I could count. For the first week I'd eat it after breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then, every year, it would mysteriously disappear. I now know my parents were throwing it out.
How could candy that kids all over the world would love just go in the garbage? It isn't fair to those kids, and it's a waste of food, resources and money. I wanted to stop that, so I started CandyForKids.
At first it was something small my family and I did. We saved our Halloween candy and gave it to less fortunate kids in goodie bags while we were on vacation. Over the next few years I shared the idea with my community, and people started giving me their Halloween candy to donate.
In 2018 I made it official, with a logo and a website, and started spreading the word. I got lots of students at my middle school to donate their Halloween candy, and friends travelling to developing countries handed out goodie bags to the kids there.
In 2020, COVID-19 meant I couldn't collect candy. Instead I raised awareness about education in developing countries and collected donations. The money covered two children's school costs through nanhikali.org.
Since then, CandyForKids has come back stronger. In 2022 we handed out candy in the Dominican Republic. In 2023 we handed out goodie bags in Mexico. In 2024 we shared candy with an orphanage for girls who are blind.
I'm proud of how far CandyForKids has come, and excited to see where it goes next.
Where the candy has gone
- Around 2015 A family project: saved Halloween candy, packed into goodie bags for kids who didn't get any.
- 2018 CandyForKids got its name, logo and website.
- 2020 With no drive during COVID, we raised money instead and covered school costs for two children through nanhikali.org.
- 2022 Candy handed out to children in the Dominican Republic.
- 2023 Goodie bags handed out to children in Mexico.
- 2024 Candy shared with an orphanage for girls who are blind.
- 2025 Drop-off hosted by the Kumon Centre of Etobicoke.
From 2026 on, the candy stays local. You drop it at our collection point or your nearest community food bank, and it goes to kids and families who need it.
The team
CandyForKids is run by youth volunteers. Want to join them? See how to help.
- Arjun Garg Founder and president
-
Mahek Patel Director of promotion -
Ryan Huo Director of Port Credit -
Sean Robinson Director of outreach
Contact
Email us at candyforkid@gmail.com or call 647-883-4820.
Now we're relaunching so families anywhere in the US and Canada can donate, host a box, or find healthier treats for their own kids. CandyForKids is a family-run project, not a registered charity.