Erie Insurance Packs 3,000 Thanksgiving Dinner Boxes

Volunteers from Erie Insurance assembled holiday meal boxes at Second Harvest Food Bank as part of a 40-year community tradition.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Philanthropy

Stacked plain kraft cardboard boxes on a concrete warehouse floor beside a pallet of folded empty boxes under soft overcast light. — 172 Erie Insurance volunteers packed 3,000 Thanksgiving dinner boxes at Second Harvest Food Bank over four shifts for families in need. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you plan to donate food or volunteer for a local food drive this year?

172 Erie Insurance volunteers packed 3,000 Thanksgiving dinner boxes at Second Harvest Food Bank over four shifts. The boxes will be distributed to families in need throughout the community before the holiday.

Why it matters

The packing day brings Erie Insurance employees together for a day of giving back to the community. The effort supports families who need help putting a holiday meal on the table.

Volunteers packed 3,000 boxes across four shifts, with 172 Erie Insurance employees participating. The drive has run for 40 years, though the total number of families served over that period was not reported.

The players

Erie Insurance

A Erie, Pennsylvania-based insurance company whose employees volunteer annually to pack holiday meal boxes.

Second Harvest Food Bank

A regional food bank that distributes donated food to families and agencies across northwestern Pennsylvania.

Charles Spacht

The longtime co-chair of the Turkey Dinner Drive who plans to continue volunteering after stepping down.

Bryan Craig

The incoming co-chair who will take over leadership of the Turkey Dinner Drive when Spacht retires.

The details

Volunteers gathered at Second Harvest Food Bank and worked in four shifts to both build and fill the boxes. The boxes are intended for families in need and will be distributed throughout the community ahead of Thanksgiving.

The Rick Hinman Thanksgiving Dinner Drive has run annually for 40 years.
Charles Spacht has served as co-chair of the Turkey Dinner Drive for thirteen years.
Bryan Craig will become co-chair when Spacht retires next year.
The Erie News Now Food Drive benefiting Second Harvest runs November 18.

Season Trajectory

The Rick Hinman Thanksgiving Dinner Drive has operated for 40 years, and this year's packing marks a step in a long-running community tradition. The leadership handoff from Spacht to Craig shows how the effort is being carried forward by a new generation of volunteers.

Residents in Erie, Crawford and Warren counties can donate food on November 18 at designated drop-off sites. Families who receive the boxes will have a Thanksgiving meal provided without needing to purchase the ingredients themselves.

The takeaway

Annual volunteer efforts like this one rely on long-serving leaders and new volunteers stepping in to keep them running. Readers who want to help can join the November 18 food drive or support local food banks year-round.

What happens next

The Erie News Now Food Drive benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank runs November 18, with donation drop-off locations in Erie, Crawford and Warren counties.