One of my most enduring Halloween memories was receiving a small orange milk carton from my school teachers every October.  The box had the acronym UNICEF emblazoned upon it.  And every October 31st, I would diligently tramp around my neighborhood, ringing doorbells, and asking “Trick or Treat? UNICEF?”.  And I would always smile when I heard the sound of pennies or dimes drop into that little orange milk carton.  UNICEF and Trick-or-Treating always went hand in hand for me.  So, I find it fitting to challenge our readers to find a way to help UNICEF this Halloween.

What is UNICEF?

UNICEF is the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (now technically known as the United Nations Children’s Fund).  UNICEF provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. According to UNICEF, the tradition of ‘Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF‘ began in 1950 in the United States, when Philadelphia schoolchildren first went door-to-door at Halloween collecting money in decorated milk cartons to help their global peers. They raised a grand total of $17, kicking off a campaign that has since brought in millions of dollars each year to help UNICEF provide medicine, better nutrition, safe water, education, emergency relief and other support to children in more than 150 countries.

According to Charity Navigator, UNICEF is rated a four star charity.  That means, they’ll use their donations the way they say they will.  View UNICEF’s full Charity Navigator profile here.

What Can You Do?

If you or your children have a UNICEF box, put it to good use and fill it up this Halloween while you’re Trick-or-Treating. If you don’t have a UNICEF box, don’t worry, you can still help:

• Make a donation right now on the Five Hens UNICEF Trick-or-Treat Online page.  Our goals is to raise $200 for UNICEF this year.  Please help us reach it by adding your donation, large or small, to our drive.  Head over to our UNICEF site, donate what you can, and “Do Good” today.
• Create your own Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF fundraising webpage in just a few easy steps. Then invite your friends and family to help you raise funds to help kids all over the world survive and grow! Click here for all the details on how to create your own UNICEF website.
• Volunteer! If you have an undergraduate degree, several years of work experience and are interested in long-term volunteer opportunities in developing countries, you may be eligible for entry into the United Nations Volunteer (UNV) program. This is a United Nations common program, which recruits volunteers for assignments throughout the United Nations system, including UNICEF. Application procedures and information are available at the UNV Web site.
• Support UNICEF through charitable donations and purchases.  UNICEF relies heavily on people like all of us to help build a world fit for children.  There are many ways you can give to UNICEF, including purchasing unique cards and gift from the UNICEF store.