Every year in November Zoie & I put together a Thankful Box full of donations for our local food bank, however with 2020 being 2020 we’re doing things a bit different this year.

Wait, let’s backtrack a bit, what is a Thankful Box, and how does it work you may be asking?

Well, every year Zoie & I take one of our large Amazon boxes, and every time we take a trip to the store we purchase a couple of items to be placed in the large box. Items that we are thankful we have, that others might not have access to; toothbrushes, mac & cheese, mouthwash, snacks, chapstick, etc.

At the end of the month, we take the box to our local food bank, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to be distributed to families in our area who are in need.

However, with 2020 being the way it is we have to alter the plan a bit. With not going to the grocery store, it’s a little tough to pick out items to place in a box. Also, dropping off items at the local food bank is a bit tricky. So this year we have to change it up a bit.

For the past couple of months, I’ve been doing a triweekly item(s) donation to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. I check the Daily Deals page to see what’s on sale and send items directly to their address. It’s super easy and takes maybe 5-10 minutes, cost maybe $3-10 an item, so not expensive in the least.

I want to continue doing a triweekly donation, but I wanted to do something that has the same impact as the Thankful Box did in the past with Zoie. To continue to remind her to be thankful for what she does have, how not everyone is as fortunate, and one day she may be in the shoes to need a helping hand.


This year each of the four weeks in November will have a theme; food, hygiene, clothing, and fun!

Each week we’ll do an activity centered around that theme to help start the topic of the week. Then I’ll have her go through the house and pick out items from the theme and place in a box, to start the topic of “what if we didn’t have that item, how would that make you feel”. Then we’ll finish off the week sitting down together picking out items from that theme for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank & The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, like a “Thankful Box”.

Each week I’ll put together a blog post with the activity and items we picked out to be donated; that way if you’re interested you can try out the activity or donate as well.

Also, please feel free to comment below with activities you’ll be planning to do this year & items you’re looking forward to donating.


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