Giving back
Why I Pack Thanksgiving Boxes Every Year (and How You Can Help)
By Craig Ziegel ·
Every fall our team packs complete Thanksgiving dinners and drops them off with families who are having a hard year. This year I'm asking for your help to make it our biggest one yet.
Our goal for 2026 is 16 meals. Each one costs about $60, so 16 meals is about $960. We're collecting through Monday, November 16.
Why this matters to me
I sell houses for a living, and most of my work happens around kitchen tables. I've seen what Thanksgiving means to a family. I've also seen how fast a holiday dinner adds up when money is tight. A turkey, the sides, a pie. For some families it's just not in the budget that week.
So we started packing boxes. We delivered 12 in 2024 and 14 in 2025. Last year they went to families through Law & Grace Ministries in Belleville, Helping Hands in Staunton and Crisis Aid in St. Louis. Every one of those boxes came from people like you.
What $60 buys
Every box is a full meal, from the turkey to the pie:
- Turkey
- Green beans, corn, carrots and sweet potatoes
- Stuffing, cornbread mix and instant potatoes
- Gravy, cream of mushroom soup and fried onions
- Boxed mac n' cheese
- Pie filling, crusts or frozen pies
- Sugar, salt, pepper and cooking oil
How you can help
- Venmo @Craig-Ziegel-1. $60 sponsors a whole meal. Any amount helps. Put "Thanksgiving" in the note.
- Cash. I'll come grab it.
- A grocery store gift card. We take them shopping for whatever the boxes still need.
- Food from the list above. Text me and I'll pick it up, or we'll set up a drop-off.
If we raise more than we need, the extra goes to local food pantries. Nothing gets wasted.
Let's fill 16 tables
Thank you for reading this, and for everything you've done for my family and our team over the years. If you can help, Venmo @Craig-Ziegel-1 or call or text me at 618.719.4543. Donations close Monday, November 16.
Craig Ziegel
Single Tree Team, brokered by eXp Realty