This year, Tens Pharmacy in Millburn is participating in a program that will help the community produce less waste after Halloween while also showing our support for our service members and veterans.

Soldiers’ Angels, a national 501(c)3 nonprofit, hosts an annual collection drive for excess Halloween candy. The organization ships the candy to deployed service members around the world for a sweet treat from home. They also utilize their “Angel” volunteers to distribute candy to veterans of all eras in VA Hospitals across the country. 

Tens Pharmacy has registered with Soldiers’ Angels to be an official drop-off site for Halloween candy. Once the collection drive is over, Tens Pharmacy will donate all collected candy to Soldiers’ Angels, which will package and ship to the deployed or hand out in VA Hospitals. 

“We feel this is a great cause and are happy to provide our soldiers and veterans a little something that might bring a smile to their face,” says Rene Rodriguez, owner and pharmacist at Tens Pharmacy. “We are happy give a little joy for people that have done so much for us.”

The vision of Soldiers’ Angels is: May No Soldier Go Unloved. Although the gesture of handing out miniature candy bars may seem small, the impact that small gesture can have on troops and veterans is huge. 

“When you are deployed to a combat zone, there are many comfort items you may go without for an extended period of time,” said Amy Palmer, president and CEO of Soldiers’ Angels. “Receiving care packages from home is a wonderful and unexpected surprise. The joy these service members get from opening a package of treats from home is immense and has a profound impact on their morale. The same can be said for veteran patients in VA Hospitals. Some patients have no family or regular visitors. When our Angel volunteers come in with treats like candy, the spirits of these patients are immediately lifted!”

The collection drive will run until Nov. 30 during normal business hours in the Roseland store. For more information on the program, or to register a business as a drop-off site, visit: www.SoldiersAngels.org/TreatsForTroops.