✨ Turn Gratitude into Action! ✨
This Thanksgiving, the best way to count your blessings is to be a blessing. We’ve compiled a heartfelt list of incredible organizations across Florida where you can donate your time and help make the holiday special for those who need it most.
UNITED WAY
The Heart of Florida United Way (HFUW) Thanksgiving Project is Central Florida’s cherished holiday tradition, bringing together team members, sponsors, and hundreds of volunteers to fight hunger.
In 2025, we are preparing to assemble and distribute 5,000 Thanksgiving meal kits across Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. This massive effort ensures that up to 20,000 neighbors—especially our hard-working ALICE families (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)—can share a warm, traditional meal at home without the severe financial burden.
This project is a powerful demonstration of what it means to LIVE UNITED.
🚗 Deliver Hope: Southeastern Food Bank’s Thanksgiving Distribution 2025
For Thanksgiving 2025, the Southeastern Food Bank is hosting its signature Food For Families Distribution Event to deliver crucial food boxes directly to neighbors in need across the Central Florida area. This event is a vital opportunity to provide both groceries and hope to underserved communities. They are seeking outgoing, friendly individuals to be the hands and feet of their mission.
FOOD BANK VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ‘SORT AND PACK’
Join Southeastern Food Bank and Publix Super Markets this November to assemble over 2,000 holiday food boxes for families in Central Florida.
This is a vital, community-wide project that brings together hundreds of volunteers—including families, churches, schools, and civic organizations—to sort, pack, and prepare food boxes for delivery to neighbors in need.
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida (BGCCF) offers two main ways to help families in need during the holidays:
1. Help Provide the Annual Thanksgiving Meal
- Opportunity: “Adopt a Club” to help provide and serve a full Thanksgiving meal for Club members and staff.
- Impact: This shows appreciation to staff and ensures every member can celebrate the holiday.
2. Donate to the Holiday Toy Drive
- Opportunity: Participate in the Annual Adopt-a-Club Holiday Toy Drive or Gift Card Drive.
- Donations: You can donate new toys, simple necessities, or gift cards (especially for teens).
SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK
During the holidays, there are two different ways you can volunteer to help families in need with Second Harvest Food Bank:
- Volunteer your time – The Second Harvest Food Bank is always in need of volunteers. Last year alone, they relied on more than 37,000 volunteers to help feed families. Volunteers can help with daily food sorting, helping load food, and by doing light warehouse tasks.
- Donate to the food drive – In December, the WESH2 News Share Your Christmas event takes place. The event is a food drive to help provide meals during the holiday season. There are various dates and areas you can donate to.
SALVATION ARMY OF ORLANDO
The Salvation Army is well-known for helping families in need during the holiday season. They offer many ways you can volunteer your time to help others for Christmas.
- Stuff the Stocking Challenge
This is a challenge that benefits low-income children and seniors living in Orlando and Orange County. You can participate by donating new gifts to help fill the given stockings. Specifically, general items are needed; they do not accept wrapped gifts or food, candy, or money. A full list of items requested can be found on the site.
- Angel Tree Campaign
During the Angel Tree Campaign, trees with special tags will be seen throughout the community. Each tag has a child’s wish on it. To participate, you can take a tag from the tree and donate the items wished for.
ONE HEART FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
One Heart for Women and Children is a community food pantry. During the holidays, they offer hot meals for the homeless and others in need. Hot food meals are served on the last Sunday of each month.
Volunteer your time and join special projects! Volunteers are needed throughout the year to help feed the homeless, sort the food pantry, pick up donations, and more. Special projects like renovating homes or planting gardens is another area that volunteers are welcome.
CENTRAL CARE MISSION THANKSGIVING DINNER
The Central Care Mission in Orlando has a yearly Thanksgiving dinner for homeless men in the Orlando area. Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve the meal, greet guests, decorate, and help clean-up afterwards.
Volunteer To Make A Difference! When you volunteer you don’t need to bring anything but a smile and a desire to make a difference. You don’t even have to know how to cook! You are welcome to bring a canned food item to help stock the food pantry, but it’s not required.