#GivingTuesday: Disney Shares the Joy this Holiday Season
Social Impact
December 1, 2015
Disney has a legacy of making a difference for communities around the world. In honor of #GivingTuesday, here are a few ways Disney is giving back this holiday season.
Toys for Tots
Disney was a founding sponsor of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots program when it first began in 1947. Over the years, Disney artists have designed Toys for Tots promotional posters, and Walt supervised the creation of the original Toys for Tots logo, which is still in use. This holiday tradition continues today, thanks to Disney employees and cast members who donate thousands of new, unwrapped toys to bring joy to children every year.
Family Volunteer Day
For 25 years, Family Volunteer Day has offered families a chance to experience and share the true spirit of the holiday season. Held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the annual day of service, organized by generationOn and sponsored by Disney Friends for Change, is a global initiative that inspires kids and their families to make a lasting, positive change. On November 21, Disney VoluntEARS and their families packed 5,000 snack packs for kids at the Orange County Food Bank, assembled 300 butterfly Garden Kits for Inside the Outdoors, and wrote 500 holiday postcards for military personnel in Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
Adopt-a-Family
Los Angeles-based Disney employees and departments are being matched with deserving families this holiday season to provide gifts and happiness to those who need it most. In collaboration with Para Los Niños and A Place Called Home, local employees will support 200 deserving families through this program.
Feeding America
In November, Disney announced a $1.5 million donation to Feeding America, which will provide grants to 60 food banks across the nation to help expand their local fresh produce sourcing and distribution programs. Creating healthier generations is a commitment of the Disney Magic of Healthy Living program, and this donation helps promote that mission by increasing access to nutritious foods for families who need it most, serving more than 12 million children this year.