For 18 years, TyRon Jackson has made it his mission to ensure that no one in Orange County feels unseen. As the founder of Operation Warm Wishes, he has dedicated his life to uplifting those experiencing homelessness, hardship, and isolation by offering not just meals, but dignity, warmth, and community.

Jackson’s passion is deeply personal. Growing up as the eldest of five, he experienced homelessness firsthand, navigating the challenges of high school while sleeping on motel floors. At school, he was bullied relentlessly for being different, for being gay, and for circumstances beyond his control. But through it all, he held onto one simple truth: love heals.

In 2017, Jackson was crowned the first Mr. Gay OC, a moment that symbolized his resilience and pride in living his truth. But titles weren’t what mattered most. Instead, he asked himself a life-defining question:

“What if I could take the message that saved me—that I am loved, that I am worthy—and give it to others?”

That question became his mission.

Operation Warm Wishes began with a small Thanksgiving meal for 30 people. Today, it serves hundreds through monthly events, from free laundry days to back-to-school drives, all built on the idea that kindness is a lifeline. At every event, Jackson reminds volunteers that what lasts is not the food, or the clothes, but the kindness behind them.

Jackson is just one of many individuals shaping the heart of Orange County. In The Heart of OC, we share the stories of those working to build a kinder, more connected community. Below, he shares his journey, his challenges, and his hope for the place he calls home.

Read on for our full interview with him.

To get involved, visit operationwarmwishes.com.

What is your personal mission or hope for the world?

I would say my personal mission is to make a positive difference and to share unconditional love with everyone regardless of who you are and where you are at. I believe that some of the issues that we have right now, no president can fix, no economist can fix, no congressman or congresswoman can fix, no senate person can fix it… It all comes down to the way we treat other people. We can be the examples.

So many students are struggling. It’s not the education system. It’s sometimes because kids are hungry or that they’re maybe living in a hotel or a car. How do you live in a car and have to wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom behind a dumpster, and then go to school and be expected to feel encouraged and happy knowing that you haven’t showered in three days? These stories are real.

There are people coming to my office like students who are living in their car and have to sleep behind a dumpster. Or similar people who have to go to work and function “the right way” while no one knows what’s going on in their lives. I believe we need to stop judging and to share more kindness, more love, and more compassion. That’s my goal.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how have you overcome them?

I think the biggest challenge that I’ve faced is me being a Black gay man in Orange County. I feel sometimes like if I was a different race or if I was straight I may have gotten more people involved with Operation Warm Wishes, but I’ve had people call me and say they want to volunteer for Thanksgiving or some other event then go on the website and they’ll go, “Oh, we found out that you’re gay, and that’s not our lifestyle” or “we’re against that, so we can’t volunteer with you.” And I say, well, you missed out on an opportunity. So I’ve had that over the years and that has been one of my biggest struggles.

It’s also been hard not having enough shelters. There aren’t enough places to help people. It’s $500 a month to keep people in a hotel, and I’m trying to find places for them, trying to get them into the shelter, but some of them don’t qualify and there’s all this red tape. What are we supposed to do? That’s why I try to do as much as I can, when I can, and try to help as much as I can.

What is your catalyst or reason to do good? 

It was when I realized that God loves everyone, not just a particular group of people. It doesn’t matter if they are followers of God or not or if they are homeless or not.

When I started to really feel confident about my sexuality, I got a lot of push back from so-called friends at church because they said God doesn’t approve of my lifestyle. All I ever wanted to do was to give back and make a difference, but I was told that God wouldn’t like it because of the fact of who I was, and that made me feel really discouraged. It made me sad. I was confused. But then it was just like God said in a small voice, “I love you, TyRon. You’re not broken. I love you.”

Once I realized God loved me for who I am and where I am at, I wanted to give that same hope to the world. I wanted people to realize, “You know what? I am loved.” Regardless of everyone calling me stinky or saying that I’m troubled, or whatever else. I’m still loved.

People have a right to feel that way. They have a right to know that they’re loved. There are so many people that don’t know they are loved or don’t have people to care for them. So I create events to bring the community together and make people feel special. I want people to think, oh my gosh, this person through a birthday party for me.

What do you like most about yourself?

My determination. My determination to never give up and my ability to love regardless. 

You know, the very, very first person that Operation Warm Wishes ever helped was me. I was the very first client. It helped me realize that I am good enough because everything that people said I wouldn’t do or couldn’t do, I’ve done it. I proved them wrong now for 18 years.

I’ve been through some things, but I’m still standing because of my determination to never give up. I want people to know that you can still stand, even when people turn their backs on you or walk away from you, you can still do it.

There was a time I had a small little car, and I would fit all these clothes into it for donations, and I would somehow make it work. There were times when I was the only one that showed up to an event to volunteer, and I had to serve all these people, but you know what? Somehow it worked.

18 years is a long time when you think about it to try and touch people’s lives and make a difference. But I feel like I’m just getting started.

If you could only give one piece of advice to the person you love most, what would it be?

You’ve come this far. Why give up now? Don’t give up.

What is one thing you wish everyone in Orange County knew about?

That kindness comes in all different forms, and it makes a difference. A simple thank you, good job, some encouraging words makes a difference. It heals. It brings people together. It soothes.  We can have our differences but we can settle it with kindness.

Just because I don’t believe in your political views or just because you’re a democrat or you’re a republican or you like vanilla ice cream or you like chocolate ice cream… There’s no need to bicker. Breaking people down is not how we get things done.

I’ve seen people come together from all walks of life at our different events like our Thanksgiving event, our Christmas event, and our Fourth of July event where we fill a U-Haul truck with donations. When you do it in the name of kindness, you get things done. I’ve seen it happen.

When you think about others doing good in OC, who comes to mind?

We are always working with local businesses, local schools, local organizations, and local people who are amazing. I am so fortunate to have so many people I’ve been able to work with over the years. I know I spoke earlier about how there’s people who don’t want to volunteer due to who I am, but I’m also very, very fortunate to have a lot of people who do volunteer at Operation Warm Wishes, who serve and do things on our behalf—moms who art cooking the turkeys on Thanksgiving, schools collecting clothes and socks, Operation Warm Wishes Make It Happen Clubs at different schools where students are helping students. It’s such a beautiful thing. We give plaques to businesses who help Operation Warm Wishes to give them recognition because when I first started off, I had no one.

Let’s see. Jonathan and Lori Abelove are the most amazing humans you can possibly think of. Jonathan is a former school board member and Lori is just amazing. They are in the trenches. They help make a difference and they’ve given me great advice.

So many have been so instrumental in my life and this journey like former mayor Al Murray, Letitia Clark, Jim Coleus, Jim Nguyen, Sally and Jeff… There’s so many. I can’t name just one. There’s so many people in my mind that my head is spinning. It’s been such a blessing.

What do you enjoy most about living and working in Orange County?

It’s just fun. I love my job working in special education in a great school district. I have access to the beach. Disneyland is here. We have some amazing, amazing restaurants. I love how on social media now they display some of these restaurants I never knew was in Orange County. I’m like, I’m going to check it out because I love food and trying new things. One of my hidden talents is that I can go to a restaurant, try something one time, and then I’d be able to make it on my own.

I also love the culture. We are very very diverse. We are very calm. It’s beautiful.

Can you share a favorite local spot or hidden gem in OC that you love?

I love Rodrigo’s. They are all over Southern California, but there’s one here in Tustin that I love.

I love The Black Marlin. That’s my treat. Every once in a while, I’ll treat myself to their amazing clam chowder. They also have a great eggs benedict. They have wonderful, wonderful food, and a wonderful, wonderful staff, but they’ve also helped Operation Warm Wishes so much over the years. When COVID happened, we were able to cook all the food at the Black Marlin. For Mother’s Day, we made thousands of pancakes for our Pancake Breakfast and drove around Orange County to deliver them to mothers on Mother’s Day. And that was all with the help of the Black Marlin.

How can others get involved or support you and your efforts?

Go to our website. Donate at www.operationwarmwishes.com because it’s the donations that we get that we’re able to do what we do. Those donations are used to buy food from local businesses, whether a grocery store, a restaurant, or a clothing store, which in turn are helping people. So it’s just a win-win-win-win-win.

Donations also help get our young men and women off the streets. We have a student internship program where we work with troubled youth and use their goals, their gifts, and their talents to make a difference in the community. We have young men who own barbershops now. They like cutting hair, so we give them a scholarship for a thousand dollars to go toward barber college. We have young men and women who want to be chefs, so they cook with Operation Warm Wishes. When they’re here, they’re not out making bad choices. They’re here making good choices because they have the opportunity.

You can also volunteer with us. We are out here working every single day and every month we are doing events. Its not just on Thanksgiving or Christmas. You can come ready to a student in need here at the office. There’s so much to be done here.

The Heart of OC is an interview series highlighting the changemakers in Orange County who lead with heart to make the world a better place. If there is a person leading change that you believe should be featured, tell us about them in the comments!