Orange County: Volunteers Assemble 500 Holiday Meal Kits for Local Families
Two Huntington Beach friends launched a local chapter of a national nonprofit to combat food insecurity, with a major packing event scheduled for next weekend.
By Amir Navarro ·
Residents in Orange County who need help putting food on the table during the holidays have a new option. Two women from Huntington Beach are organizing a local branch of a national charity to deliver complete Thanksgiving meal kits to 500 families. The initiative addresses a widespread gap in the region, where roughly one in six children and one in eight adults face food insecurity, according to Feeding America. That statistic translates to nearly 400,000 people across the county.
The local effort began in April when Tiffany Abrishami and Karen Francis established the Orange County branch of Thanksgiving Heroes. The two met the organization’s founder, Rob Adams, at a nonprofit retreat in Utah earlier this year. Adams created the Salt Lake City-based group in 2015 after experiencing poverty as a child. The model relies on volunteers to pack and drive boxes of food directly to the homes of those in need, rather than using traditional food banks.
Abrishami, 35, said she felt compelled to act after the retreat. She has long wanted to start a nonprofit but was unsure how to begin. The connection with Adams provided the structure she was looking for. Francis, 43, who teaches yoga at a local mall, noted that the personal connection between drivers and families appealed to her. She has lived in California for many years but often spent holidays alone, feeling disconnected from community events.
The chapter is currently raising funds to meet a $50,000 goal for the year. As of last week, the organization had raised approximately $41,000. Albertsons provided a $5,000 corporate grant to support the effort. The meal kits, designed for families of five, include frozen turkeys, pies, vegetables, and other staples. The group partnered with Smart & Final to secure nonprofit pricing on these ingredients.
Nominations for the 500 families to receive kits are open until Monday. People can submit names through the organization’s website or nominate themselves if they are in need. The primary event for this cycle is a packing and delivery day scheduled for November 20 and 21. The activity will take place at the loading dock of the Bella Terra mall in Huntington Beach.
The most urgent need for volunteers is drivers. On Saturday, November 21, drivers will pick up three to four completed meal kits. They will be given a specific route to deliver the boxes to recipients. There are four available time slots for this task, ranging from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The organization also seeks volunteers to help pack boxes and with cleanup duties.
For those who cannot volunteer time or donate money, the group offers a year-round alternative called a turkey drive. This allows individuals to host their own fundraising events. The local board of directors includes Letty Love, vice president from Irvine, and Brian Ford, legal counsel from Huntington Beach. The group works alongside other local food nonprofits, such as The Tree of New America and Hands of Mercy, to expand their reach.
Francis emphasized that the organization accepts all denominations, genders, and backgrounds because hunger does not discriminate. She noted that food insecurity often affects people who appear to have stable lives, such as those with jobs and cars, but who struggle to cover grocery costs until the next paycheck. The goal is to build community awareness around the economic challenges facing local families.
