Operation Candy Drop supports popular trick-or-treat streets in Goshen

There should be fewer trick or treaters flocking to Murray Avenue this year, but even if half of the usual costumed kids show, homeowners still have a ton of candy to hand out.

“I have a lot of friends that live on that road, and they were telling me how much money they were spending, and how many pieces of candy they’d give out,” said village resident Sharon Frey. “They would count! It’s not like they can give a handful of candy to every kid. They were literally giving one piece of a time.”

In a normal year, the average home in this neighborhood could hand out 1,500 individual pieces of candy before the night is even over.

To help the local families — and thank them for creating such a great Halloween experience for kids from Goshen and beyond — Frey started Operation Candy Drop six years ago, inviting the community to donate bags of candy for those living on these popular Halloween streets.

She and friend Susan Armistead offer up their porches as drop-off locations for those who would like to donate bags of candy. Before Halloween, they put together bundles, and Frey heads out with her kids to drop them off at the homes along Murray, Lincoln and other busy streets.

This year, they’ve already received more than 25 bags.

- Molly Colgan