With families across the United States stretched financially following history’s longest federal government shutdown and subsequent pause in SNAP benefits, Thanksgiving is a heavier lift this year.
In fact, research shows that the average Thanksgiving meal is approximately 10% more expensive this year, with many Americans planning to cut back on festivities.
Fortunately, people like Rebecca Chobat are stepping in to help.
Chobat is the face of Dollar Tree Dinners, a social media channel dedicated to helping people make nutritious and tasty meals using ingredients only sourced from stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General.
She has spent years getting creative on a tight budget and sharing recipes and resources for her audience of millions to frugally feed themselves and others.
Earlier this year, her “meal in a bag” inventions were emulated by countless supporters looking to donate to people affected by SNAP cuts. Following Chobat’s printable recipe cards, people include canned foods, seasonings, and other ingredients in a large plastic bag, bundling everything together to make it easy for a family in need to eat.
Unsurprisingly, Chobat has upped the ante for Thanksgiving, creating what she calls “Thanksgiving in a Box.” In a video detailing her invention, she shares that she will be donating meals to a local organization that supports families and individuals with disabilities.
“Each one [is] packed with care, comfort, and everything needed for a warm holiday meal,” she wrote in a caption.
But what does the box entail?
“I really wanted to make sure each family had everything they needed for a full holiday meal,” Chobat said in her video.
“Every box includes the ingredients for green bean casserole, corn casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, biscuits, pumpkin spice muffins, and apple pie.”
She also included turkey seasoning, a turkey roasting bag, and a gift card so people would be able to go to the store and pick out a turkey or main dish of their choice.
“I also included some fun extras like hot cocoa mix and sweet tea mix because those little touches make the meal feel special.”
Chobat is also seen in the video adding themed holiday napkins to each kit, in addition to a simple menu that shows what is inside each box.
She also printed out recipe cards so recipients could have a guide for any dish they needed help making.
“My goal was that even someone who has never cooked a Thanksgiving dinner before could open this box and feel confident in pulling this whole meal together,” Chobat said.
On her own, Chobat donated 12 full dinner boxes, eight smaller casserole kits, and eight single-serve holiday meals for people in her community.
The smaller casserole kits included all the ingredients needed to make Chobat’s “best of Thanksgiving” casserole recipe, which allows folks to enjoy a nearly complete Thanksgiving dinner in a single, simpler dish.
While it’s unclear how much each kit costs, history shows Chobat will likely have copy-cats using her idea to give back to their community, too. Even less than a day after she posted her video, followers in the comments jumped in to share how they were making “Thanksgiving in a Box” their own.
“We ‘copied’ you yesterday and did this for four families,” one commenter wrote, with a photo of their children packing the boxes.
Another shared that Chobat will inspire other “copy-cat creators” to do similar acts of kindness this holiday season.
“If anyone wants to ever copy my ideas, honestly I love that it’s this one,” Chobat replied. “No gatekeeping in this house.”
In fact, in her video, she said it’s this ripple effect that inspires her to give back and get creative on a budget.
“Putitng this all together definitely reminds me how powerful small acts of care can be. I am thankful that I had the time, the resources, and the support to take on a project like this,” Chobat said.
“It may be a modest gesture in the grand scheme of things, but if it brings even a little bit of warmth, ease, or joy to the people who receive these meals, then that is more than enough for me.”
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Header image by Ana Maltez/Unsplash
