Laguna Food Pantry needs Newport Beach volunteers to drive donated groceries from local stores to families facing hunger.

More than 25 grocery stores across Newport Beach and Costa Mesa donate fresh produce, dairy, meat and bakery items each week, according to Stu News Newport. The stores give away items they can no longer sell because of inventory limits, seasonal turnover or lack of shelf space. Volunteer drivers pick up the donations and deliver them to the pantry's facility in Laguna Canyon, where staff sort and distribute the food.

The pantry is recruiting drivers for shifts on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Volunteers use their own vehicles, and mileage reimbursement is available.

Without drivers, the food ends up in landfills.

The need is growing across the region. A Feeding America report found that roughly 387,000 Orange County residents experienced food insecurity in 2024, up 44% from about 267,000 in 2021. OC Food Bank Director Mark Lowry told Voice of OC in August that 40,000 county residents had lost CalFresh benefits since H.R.1 took effect last fall. The cuts left "$10 million fewer dollars of governmental food benefits available to vulnerable families," Lowry said.

Laguna Food Pantry operates a drive-through distribution system Monday through Friday, 8 to 10:30 a.m. Residents interested in volunteering as drivers can apply through the pantry's volunteer application page on the Laguna Food Pantry website.