by Corey

According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 13 children now suffer from food allergies. Gluten is one of the most common allergens and even those not “allergic” to it are often “gluten intolerant” so more and more families (like mine) have gone gluten-free.

So what treats to choose to ensure a safe and fun Halloween that keeps all the YUM?

Yo’ Drops from Revolution Foods

Stretch Island Fruit Co. strips

Larabar (minis)

Honest Kids organic drink pouches

Nature’s Path organic crispy rice treats

Endangered Species Bug Bites

Surf Sweets organic candy

“Angell Crisp” by Angell Bar

Eli’s Earth Bars organic candy bars

Glee Gum (minis)

***

Of course, giving non-food “treasures” is another way to make Halloween gluten-free. Just choose items that are made from safe, natural materials and look for treasures that will last long past Halloween, such as polished rocks, recycled mood pencils, and mini decks of cards or games.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

What’s even better than chocolate?

Free chocolate.

What’s even better than free chocolate?

Free, Fair Trade chocolate.

What’s even better than free, Fair Trade chocolate?

Free, Fair Trade chocolate for the good of others.

You’ve heard us chat up Reverse Trick-or-Treating in the past, but did you know that when you sign up to take part you get all the chocolates you need at no charge?

And we’re not talking ordinary Fair Trade chocolates (wait, is there such a thing?) we’re talking eco-yummy, ethically sourced chocolate from Coco-Zen, Alter Eco, and our own partner, Equal Exchange.

For more, go to www.reversetrickortreating.org (Please note the deadline.)

Add a comment below if you’re planning on taking part! We are!

Participate in the Third Annual Reverse Trick-or-Treating!

On Halloween night, schoolchildren, (& high school/college students, and adults) across the US and Canada will unite to help:

END poverty among cocoa farmers
END abusive child labor in the cocoa industry
PROMOTE Fair Trade
PROTECT the environment

by giving Fair Trade chocolate back to adults…while Trick-or-Treating door-to-door in their communities on Halloween.

The chocolate is attached to a card with information about social and environmental justice issues in the cocoa industry and how buying Fair Trade certified chocolate provides a solution.

Parents rave about how Reverse Trick-or-Treating transforms Halloween into a meaningful event when youth activists give back to their neighbors and to cocoa growing communities.

Reverse Trick-or-Treating kits are FREE
Thanks to the generous donations of Fair Trade chocolate companies
Equal Exchange, Alter Eco, Sweet Earth, and La Siembra (& others in Canada)
(Participants pay the cost of postage only.)

Participate as an individual or organize your classroom, school, congregation, youth group or social justice organization to participate by distributing multiple kits to participants!

DEADLINE TO REQUEST KITS:
Groups (schools, congregations, youth groups, etc):  October 1
Individuals:  October 13
Order yours TODAY!  We always run out long before the deadline!

Join us, and together, we will reach nearly
a quarter million households this year!

Visit www.reversetrickortreating.org for more information!

If you choose not to request a kit, you can still participate by distributing flyers on Halloween!  Visit the website for more information.

Looking for Fair Trade Halloween candy to distribute to kids at your door? Visit https://www.globalexchangestore.org/SearchResults.asp?Cat=263.

Are you a teacher or other educator (faith-based schools, etc, etc)?  Teach Global Exchange’s fabulous, fun, teaching standards-friendly Fair Trade curriculum anytime between now and Valentine’s Day, 2010, and you will be entered into a drawing for $75 in Fair Trade prizes.  More information is available at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa.

If you’re not an educator, please forward this email to some folks who are, and you’ll be entered into a Fair Trade prize drawing, too, for referring educators!

Reverse Trick-or-Treating is an initiative launched by the human rights organization Global Exchange in cooperation with Fair Trade company Equal Exchange and is a collaborative effort of countless children, youth, and adults supported by institutions including nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, Fair Trade companies, and schools.

Please forward this email broadly!  Plus, please pass the information along to your favorite parenting, environmental, and chocolate blogs.

PS:  Global Exchange’s Fair Trade cocoa curriculum is featured in Education for Liberation’s teacher planner for the second year in a row!  Copies of Planning to Change the World are available at http://cts.vresp.com/c/?EducationforLiberati/51cd00bd4f/5d87156170/727b3e6098

(Content from this post taken directly from Global Exchange’s e-blast. If information is missing or incorrect, please contact them directly.)

Did you know that October is Fair Trade month, a time to celebrate fair wages and healthy, safe working conditions for artisans and farmers?

Fair Trade Certification encourages environmentally sustainable business practices and prohibits the abuse of child slave labor, and since the cocoa industry is swarming with accusations of child slavery and other human rights abuses, choosing Fair Trade Certified chocolate is really important. So in honor of Fair Trade month (and Green Halloween!),we’re sending one lucky reader a FREE Fair Trade Trick or Treat Action Kit.

The Fair Trade Trick or Treat Kit has everything you need to make Halloween something special. It includes Fair Trade Trick-or-Treat chocolate to hand out, a ghostly Papel Picado Halloween decoration, a Fair Trade is Boo-tiful poster to hang in your window, festive spooky postcards and an eco-friendly “green” bag for Trick or Treating.

To win this free kit, simply post a comment to this blog by Oct. 22nd (That’s THIS Wednesday!) with your thoughts about the Fair Trade Action Kit, along with your email address so we can let you know if you’ve won, and you’re automatically entered for a chance to win your free kit!

We look forward to hearing from you.