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.

But by day three, something interesting happened: People started lingering.

Instead of grabbing coffee and rushing back to their desks, colleagues stopped to read the growing list of items already inside. Someone added a pair of warm socks. Someone else placed a box of pasta. A junior engineer added a children’s toothbrush pack and whispered, “These were always in short supply when I was growing up.” Suddenly, those quiet donations sparked conversations — real ones.

Engaging Daily Ritual

Before long, the Reverse Advent box became a daily ritual.

Employees took turns choosing an item from the wish-list. Remote workers had their Amazon deliveries shipped directly to the office. A director challenged the leadership team to fill a full week of items themselves. It was lighthearted, but deeply meaningful. You could feel the energy shift.

By December 22nd, the box overflowed. We ended up using a second one.

That afternoon, a group of six volunteered to deliver the boxes to Inn from the Cold. We walked into the family shelter holding our decorated boxes, not sure what to expect — but the moment we stepped inside, we understood why this mattered.

A staff member thanked us and explained how donations help families transitioning out of crisis situations.

“Your box,” she said, “gives a family one less worry during a season that can feel overwhelming.”

It was humbling. And grounding. One of our quietest team members wiped away tears.

We left the building not with the pride of doing something charitable, but with the warm realization that we had done something human — together.

This year, we’re starting earlier. Two boxes. Two charities. One team, more connected than ever.