By Christopher Manson
The season of giving is here, and local nonprofits are inviting residents to step up, spread cheer, and make a difference. From food and toy drives to wreath-laying ceremonies, there are countless ways to help your neighbors in need and celebrate the true spirit of the holidays.
-Rev up for a great cause: the Harley-Davidson Owners Group (H.O.G.) #3605 hosts its 46th annual Toys 4 Tots Ride on Sunday, Nov. 16, starting at Emerald Coast Harley Davidson and ending up with festivities at the Mullet Festival Fairgrounds. As in years past, toy and cash donations will benefit children served by the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (ECCAC) and Children In Crisis (CIC).
Kickoff & preregistration:
Friday, Nov. 14, 6–9 p.m. at Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson, 788 Beal Pkwy NW, Fort Walton Beach. Details: emeraldcoasthd.com.
Day-of registration:
Sunday, Nov. 16, 8:30 a.m. at Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson. Fee: $10 per person + a new toy or gift card. Kickstands up at 11 a.m. for the ride to Niceville’s Mullett Festival grounds.
After-ride festivities:
Bike games, best-decorated bike/auto contest, truck show, 50/50 drawing, DJ Anthony, food trucks, and 100+ prizes.
ECCAC helps prevent and heal trauma from child abuse and neglect through advocacy and child-friendly therapies at no cost in Okaloosa and Walton counties (ECCAC does not house children). CIC provides shelter, foster homes, and transitional living in Fort Walton Beach for children removed from their homes.
Learn more: ECCAC.org/event or contact Kate McDougall at kate@ECCAC.org. Volunteers from ECCAC and CIC will be working the high-low games and handing out raffle tickets.
-Kick off the countdown to Christmas Saturday, Nov. 22, with the Ruthlake Farm Christmas Market, happening at the Destin–Fort Walton Beach Convention Center on Okaloosa Island from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event supports the mission of SAFE (Strategic Alliance to Fight Exploitation), a nonprofit working to end exploitation in the Florida Panhandle.
Guests will enjoy photos with Santa Claus, vendors, gift wrapping, and more. Admission for the event is $10 and includes a complimentary shopping bag and raffle entry.
-The Food for Thought (fftfl.org) 2025 Christmas Food Drive runs Dec. 2–18. Suggested donations include instant potatoes, stuffing, cornbread mix, canned vegetables, rice, dried beans, macaroni and cheese, pasta and sauce, cereal, pancake mix, juice, and boxed milk.
The nonprofit discourages glass containers and does not accept expired, open, or leftover foods. “Easy-open pop-top cans” are preferred.
Individuals and local businesses are encouraged to drop off food items for holiday meals at Food for Thought’s Destin (908 Airport Road) or Santa Rosa Beach (132 Market Street) pantries. Email support@fftfl.org to learn more.
-The Niceville Police Department recently announced that new, unopened, and unwrapped gifts for Toys for Tots can be dropped off in the NPD lobby through Dec. 11. Additional collection locations include the Niceville Senior Center (through Dec. 12) and the Hiller Group office at 4654 East Highway 20, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-Heroes helping heroes—The Twin Cities will participate in a Wreaths Across America ceremony Saturday, Dec. 13, at Heritage Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery in Niceville at 11 a.m. You can help honor fallen heroes by sponsoring a remembrance wreath, volunteering, or inviting family and friends to attend.
Wreaths will also be placed at Sunset Cemetery in Valparaiso beginning at 9 a.m. To learn more, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org.
-Let your light shine this Thanksgiving and Christmas season for moms and littles. CALM (Crisis Aid for Littles and Moms) depends on Niceville and neighboring communities to maintain a safe place for mothers and children in crisis situations. Donations provide shelter, provisions, and guidance for women seeking a better way of life for themselves and their kids.
Donations (please make checks payable to CALM Organization Inc.) can be mailed to CALM Organization Inc., 201 Redwood Avenue, Niceville, FL 32578. Visit nicevillecalm.com for more information.
-What a great Christmas gift for a child with no bed! A donation, even small, to A Bed 4 Me Foundation—a nonprofit providing beds for children who would otherwise be sleeping on floors or in other inadequate spaces—can help put a child into a new bed. Make your one-time or monthly donation at abed4me.org/donate.
-Sharing & Caring of Niceville has been supporting families in Niceville needing holiday food/gifts since 1989, beginning as a food pantry. The nonprofit has since grown to offer help to local families with rent, utilities, prescriptions, school supplies, and meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
According to sharing-n-caring.org, a $48 donation will pay for a family of four’s holiday meal, while $57 can provide gifts for a child whose family may not be able to afford them. If you’d like to become a sponsor, call 850-678-8459 or email info@sharing-n-caring.org.
How you can help:
- Adopt a family (or child) via their Angel Tree: buy gifts, wrap or ask what the family needs.
- Donate a turkey or holiday meal food items.
- Volunteer for distribution when they do food drop-offs / family pickup.
Tip: Reach out to them early to secure a family to adopt. Ask for drop-off deadlines (often early December) and list of needed items (e.g., toys, gift cards, warm clothes).
-The Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (ECCAC) is once again spreading Christmas cheer through its annual Toy, Gift, and Adopt-a-Family Program — a heartwarming tradition that ensures local children experience the joy of the season.
Each year, ECCAC’s “Wish List” program connects generous individuals, businesses, and organizations with children and families in need across Okaloosa and Walton counties. Donors can adopt a child or family, donate new toys and gifts, or give monetary contributions to help stock ECCAC’s Toy Room.
The Toy Room becomes a magical “shop” where parents can select gifts for their children — all at no cost. Donations also support ECCAC’s partner agencies who serve area families year-round.
“This effort helps us remind children and families that they are seen, valued, and loved,” said the ECCAC team. “Every gift is a message of hope.”
How to Help: Bring new, unwrapped toys or gift cards to ECCAC’s Niceville Center (401 McEwen Dr.) or DeFuniak Springs Center (336 College Ave.). Monetary donations can be made online at ECCAC.org.
