Several organizations serving Newport Beach and Orange County are collecting donations, gifts and volunteer hours for the holiday season. Here is what residents can do right now.
Share Ourselves: Adopt A Family and Thanksgiving help
Share Ourselves, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that provides healthcare and social services, is running two holiday programs.
The group's 57th Annual Adopt A Family program takes place in December 2026 at the OC Fair & Event Center, 905 Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa (Gate Entrance 8). Volunteers wrap gifts and assemble bicycles for families in need. Residents interested in adopting a family can select one and receive the family's story and wish list, according to the organization's events page. Email [email protected] with questions or [email protected] to schedule a tour.
Share Ourselves also hosts a Fall Family Service Night on Nov. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. Families sort and prepare food bags for the group's Thanksgiving Food Distribution Program, which anticipates distributing more than 800 bags of meal supplies. Children ages 5 and older may participate with a guardian. Refreshments are provided. The organization states registration is now open.
Overflow parking is available at the Hoag parking structure at 500 Superior Ave., Newport Beach, on the third level.
Can't volunteer? Share Ourselves' food pantry accepts in-kind donations of food, hygiene products and clothing at 1550 Superior Ave., Costa Mesa, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The organization says it uses 85 cents of every donated dollar for direct program services, according to its get-involved page.
SmileMakers: holiday gifts for care-facility residents
The Council on Aging–Southern California's SmileMakers program collects, wraps and distributes more than 6,200 personalized holiday gifts to older and disabled adults in long-term care facilities across Orange and Riverside counties.
Residents can adopt an Angel Tag featuring a care-facility resident's name and personal gift request. Groups can adopt 25 or more tags. Frequently requested items include lap blankets, jackets, sweaters, T-shirts and activity kits, all available through the program's Amazon wishlist.
Contact Jamie Cansler at (949) 395-7158 or [email protected] to get involved. The program's website does not list a 2026 gift deadline; check with Cansler for current dates.
Project Hope Alliance: supporting youth experiencing homelessness
Project Hope Alliance, based in Costa Mesa, supports children and young people experiencing homelessness in Orange County. The organization accepts financial donations online, by check (1954 Placentia Ave. #202, Costa Mesa, CA 92627) and through donor-advised funds. Monthly giving is available through its Partner of Hope program.
Residents can also shop the group's Amazon wishlist to stock pantries for kids and families. Items ship directly to the office.
Group volunteer opportunities are available in person or remotely. Contact Annie Song, director of development, at [email protected] or Allen Burnett, community engagement manager, at [email protected] for current holiday volunteer openings.
Families Forward: Thanksgiving and holiday gift drives
Irvine-based Families Forward runs two drives serving Orange County families.
The Thanksgiving Food Drive deadline has been extended to Monday, Nov. 16. Drop off donations at 8 Thomas, Irvine, CA 92618, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No glass items. Email [email protected] with questions.
The Holiday Gift Drive accepts new items only, with no clothes or shoes, through Tuesday, Dec. 8. The same drop-off location and hours apply. The minimum volunteer age for most opportunities is 10, with parental supervision required for ages 10 to 13. The organization's volunteer FAQ page states it is not accepting new volunteers at this time; check families-forward.org or call (949) 379-8373 for updates on holiday volunteer openings.
Second Harvest Food Bank: volunteer shifts and food drives
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County serves more than 400,000 food-insecure residents each month. All volunteer shifts take place in Irvine, not Newport Beach.
The Distribution Center (ages 13 and older with a chaperone) runs shifts Monday through Saturday. Farm programs at Harvest Solutions Farm and Founders Farm welcome volunteers ages 7 and older with a chaperone. Chaperones must be 21 or older. Teens 16 and 17 do not need a chaperone.
Groups of 10 or more can reserve shifts; smaller groups register individually. Check the volunteer calendar at feedoc.volunteerhub.com or email [email protected].
Second Harvest no longer accepts individual food donations directly. Residents can organize virtual food drives online or donate food through partner pantries; visit feedoc.org/donation-location to find a nearby drop-off site.
Friends of Newport Beach Animal Shelter
Friends of Newport Beach Animal Shelter works to help every animal at the Newport Beach shelter find a home. The organization's website did not list specific holiday campaigns at the time of publication. Residents can email [email protected] or mail donations to P.O. Box 10791, Newport Beach, CA 92658.
Most of these organizations accept donations year-round. Share Ourselves' food pantry, Project Hope Alliance's Amazon wishlist and Second Harvest's volunteer shifts continue well past the holidays for residents looking to help in January and beyond.
