A couple of weeks ago, Hurricane Ian tore through Central Florida, and Disney VoluntEARS were right there to help families both during and in the aftermath.
Riding Out the Storm
Many Walt Disney World cast members volunteered to ride out the storm at the resorts, helping Guests feel safe.
As the storm approached, many Disney VoluntEARS collected and delivered resources to local organizations in preparation.
This included nearly 1,000 water bottles for Osceola Council on Aging, bedding supplies for individuals taking shelter at Salvation Army, and hundreds of vital hygiene products for Hope Partnership, Hope CommUnity Center, and The Sharing Center.
After the Storm
Once Hurricane Ian left, hundreds of Disney VoluntEARS quickly mobilized to help impacted families and neighboring communities clean up debris, pack disaster relief kits, and sort through donations for areas in critical need.
Since the storm, Disney VoluntEARS have packed more than 15,000 disaster relief kits alongside local organizations, including disaster relief meal kits at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
Cast members have also pitched in through other unique programs like Disney VoluntEARS Grants, which enables cast members to turn their volunteer hours into charitable contributions, and Disney Matching Gifts, which doubles cast donations dollar-for-dollar to eligible nonprofits.
More Donations
The Walt Disney Company is contributing millions of dollars in monetary support to relief efforts, including providing assistance to cast members and employees affected by the storm through the company’s relief fund.
Additional funds are also being granted directly to local organizations helping those who need assistance in the wake of the storm, including nearly $500,000 in donations to Osceola Council on Aging, United Against Poverty, Project:Camp, and World Central Kitchen. This is in addition to large donations pre-hurricane.
Central Florida is still recovering, and donations to any of the above charities will help. We thank Disney and the Walt Disney World VoluntEARS for all of their help.
