How a Small Business Created a Big Ripple

Last December, our team at Prairie & Peak Engineering decided to start a Reverse Advent Calendar as a simple morale booster. It had been a busy year — deadlines, hiring challenges, and a mix of remote and in-office work had left everyone feeling scattered. We needed something to reconnect us. Something small. Something positive.

We set a decorated box on the corner table in the lunchroom on December 1st. A few employees wrapped it in leftover Christmas paper from home, added ribbons, and wrote “Packed With Care — From All of Us” in bold red marker. No big kickoff, no long email — just an invitation to participate if people felt moved.

A Family Tradition We Didn’t Know We Needed

Last year was the first time our family participated in the Reverse Advent Calendar. We stumbled upon the idea on social media, and my daughter said, “Let’s do this instead of chocolate this year!” So we found an old moving box in the basement, wrapped it in leftover holiday paper, and set it by the dining room table.
On December 1st, we placed our first item inside — a can of soup.
Nothing special. Nothing complicated.

The Box That Brought Our Team Together​

Last December, our team at Prairie & Peak Engineering decided to start a Reverse Advent Calendar as a simple morale booster. It had been a busy year — deadlines, hiring challenges, and a mix of remote and in-office work had left everyone feeling scattered. We needed something to reconnect us. Something small. Something positive.

We set a decorated box on the corner table in the lunchroom on December 1st. A few employees wrapped it in leftover Christmas paper from home, added ribbons, and wrote “Packed With Care — From All of Us” in bold red marker. No big kickoff, no long email — just an invitation to participate if people felt moved.