• Thanksgiving is a feasting holiday and giving the gift of a sumptuous meal to a family who otherwise would not have it gives both you and the family another reason for which to be thankful. Designing and preparing the Thanksgiving care package does not require special culinary skills. When assembling a Thanksgiving care package, based on the purpose for which you are giving it, there are many options available. Choose the option that best fits your budget and time requirements.
  
  

Prepared Thanksgiving Dinner

• Perhaps the simplest way to give a Thanksgiving care package is to pre-order a complete pre-cooked dinner from a supermarket or restaurant. Upon placing and paying for the order in advance, the retailer will give you a coupon which will be used to pick up the dinner on Thanksgiving Day or before. Insert this coupon into a personal Thanksgiving card with directions for picking up the dinner and give it to the recipient. If the recipient cannot drive, make arrangements for the meal to be delivered. Before selecting the size and type of dinner, make certain that it will serve the number of people in the recipient's family. Also make certain that the dinner contains foods that are appropriate for the family's religious preferences. With this method, you can give as many Thanksgiving care packages as you wish and your budget allows to different families.
  
  

Multiple Thanksgiving Care Packages

• If you wish to give several Thanksgiving care packages to various families, you can approach the supermarket where you regularly shop for some help. Make an appointment with the store manager early in the summer to get ahead of people making similar requests. Show your store membership card to prove that you are a regular shopper. Explain that you personally plan to give Thanksgiving care packages to needy families. Offer to buy the side dishes, such as boxes of stuffing mix, gravy mix, cans of vegetables, baking rolls and pre-cooked pies, from his store and ask him if the store will in turn donate the whole turkeys. Stack the makings for the meals into reusable cloth sacks sold by the store and deliver them to the families.
  
  

Specialty Food Basket

• If a friend or neighbor is expecting a crowd of relatives for the big day or has just moved into a new home, she is an excellent candidate for a Thanksgiving care package. Choose a holiday-themed basket and fill it with several varieties of crackers and wax-rind cheeses that are decorative and do not require refrigeration. Add several packages of toasted mini-breads and fruit jams, packages of tea and flavored instant coffees. Stack several small pumpkin and fruit pies ordered from the bakery on top and decorate the basket with Leonidas roses, orange spray roses or burgundy carnations. This basket will provide breakfast, snacks and dessert for at least the first several days.