What is Trick or Treating for Cans?

Trick or Treating for Cans is an event where the children of Cross Roads church and friends gather on the Sunday afternoon closest to Halloween to trick or treat — but instead of requesting candy, we are hoping to collect non-perishable food items to go towards feeding the hungry in our area. We let the neighborhood know we’re coming, and then when that Sunday arrives we gather and Trick or Treat, but for food. The kids get to wear their costumes a second time, serve their community, and learn about living our values rather than just speaking them.

When?

November 1st from 4-6pm

I want to help! Can I Trick or Treat? Donate food?

Yes and yes!

Trick or Treating

If you’re a kiddo and their grown up, you can join us for Trick or Treating! RSVP here! If you’re over 14 or have a teen who wants to help out (and dress up!), you’re very welcome so long as we remember that we’ll have a lot of children around and we have to be supportive and mindful!

Donating Food

You can also provide food, either as someone in the neighborhood we’re coming to visit or by dropping food off to the church the following week.

If you live in the neighborhood we are visiting, sit back, relax, and we will come to you! Answer when we ring the bell for some cute kids doing kind things! If you will be away from home at that time (Nov. 1st, 4-6pm), feel free to leave a bag outside with the door hanger attached or a note — then we’ll know it for us and pick it up!

You are also welcome to drop off food at Cross Roads Presbyterian Church any of the following times: Sunday November 1st you can drop it off starting at 9:45 (and stay for a biscuit at 10:15 breakfast and/or Worship at 11:00!) or on Tuesday or Wednesday morning from 10:00-12:00pm. If you pop by and we’ve run to grab lunch, leave it at the door and we’ll bring it in when we’re back.

We’ll keep whatever works well for our backpack program and whatever doesn’t will go to a local food pantry. A great way to kick off our ‘Love Your Neighbor’ November.

Just cans?

Nope! “Trick or Treating for Non-Perishable Food Items” was even wordier than “Trick or Treating For Cans,” so we went with cans. We will take any non-perishable food item you’d like to donate!

Are you proselytizing?

Nope! While we are teaching our children that we do things like this because Jesus calls us to care for our community and love our neighbors, we are simply collecting food! There will not be any tracts nor will you be evangelized at, hear any lengthy spiels, or anything else. We’re just living out our faith with some fun sprinkled in.

And where are the donations going?

We have a bit of a flow chart; some items are better suited to certain types of food insecurity responses. Cross Roads partners with Pleasant Grove Elementary school to provide food on the weekends for food insecure families through our backpack program. If your offering would best suit those children, we will route that food to the backpack program. If not, we will take it to the food pantry at Breakthrough Community Church on Third Street in Mebane.

My child would LOVE to Trick or Treat for Cans! How do I get connected?

We would love to have them! RSVP here! We will meet at the church at 3:30 to coordinate and caravan over at 3:45 or you can meet us at the neighborhood. Email Pastor Kate if you’d like further details or have any questions!

I don’t live in that neighborhood, but I’d like to support y’all. How can I do that?

You can bring it to our worship service on Sunday November 1st or drop it at the church on Tuesday the 3rd or Wednesday the 4th from 10:00am to 12:00pm. If you’d like to be a regular supporter of our backpack program, you’re welcome to donate to the church and put Outreach in the subject line; if you’d like to support our Children’s Ministry, you can donate to the church and it will go to the general offering, where we get our funding!

Okay, but… do you also want candy?

Let’s be honest, children always want candy, do as you will — but they are prepared to not receive candy. They know they’re coming to do something for others and have some fun while at it, so there is zero obligation to provide candy! If you see cute children in costume and can’t resist, that’s fine too.