September is Hunger Action Month — Here’s How Disney Tackles Food Insecurity in Florida
You may not be aware that September is Hunger Action Month, and Disney is taking steps to help communities throughout the state of Florida.
Photo: Disney
Disney World has made efforts to support local nonprofits and community leaders in efforts to tackle food insecurity and end hunger in Florida for decades now, and here’s how they’re helping!
Disney Harvest Program
Founded in 1991, the Disney Harvest Program is a collaboration between Disney and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Their mission is to collect excess food from around Disney World Resort and donate it to local nonprofits, including homeless shelters and food pantries. Last year, the program donated 722,000 pounds of food (600,000 meals)!
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Disney donated $150,000 to Second Harvest in 2024, and an additional $500,000 after Hurricane Milton. Through Disney VoluntEARS Grants and Disney Employee Matching gifts, Cast Members who selected Second Harvest facilitated an additional $115,000 donated in 2024.
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“For decades, Walt Disney World’s unwavering support has been a foundational aspect to our mission at Second Harvest Food Bank,” said Derrick Chubbs, President and CEO of Second Harvest. “We have been able to grow our services dramatically with the resources of food, funds, volunteers, and expertise that we continue to receive.”
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Tajiana Ancora-Brown, Director of External Affairs at Disney World, said, “Access to safe, healthy and affordable food is a critical need facing the Central Florida community. Every day we’re working alongside nonprofit organizations and are focused on supporting this important cause in ways that only Disney can.”
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Supporting More Nonprofits
Disney selected three additional nonprofits to receive a 2025 Disney Grant, with $300,000 out of a total $500,00 in Disney Grants going directly to fund programs addressing hunger in Florida.
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These nonprofits include the following:
- Valencia College operates VCentials, a food pantry that gives students in need free access to nutritious food. With Disney’s help, the pantry can provide over 2,500 students with the essential items they need to focus on their education.
- United Against Poverty relaunched its mobile food pantry program, which helps deliver low-cost groceries to areas of Central Florida that need them the most. With the Disney Grant, United Against Poverty can provide food for over 1,200 unique families across the region.
- Osceola Council on Aging offers both an Emergency Food Pantry and Mobile Food Pantry programs, which help feed families of all ages throughout the county. Their Disney Grant helped provide around 14,000 nutritious meals to those in need.
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“We are deeply grateful for the support from Disney. It allows us to be there for families when they need it most,” said Wendy Ford, President and CEO of Osceola Council on Aging. “Together, we can prevent homelessness, fight hunger and give parents the reassurance that they are not alone.”
What’s Next
In October, Disney will be participating in CANstruction Orlando, which allows Disney VoluntEARS the opportunity to build a recreation of a Disney character from food items. The food is then donated to Second Harvest.
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In November, Disney chefs and VoluntEARS will cook and serve 1,000 Thanksgiving dinners at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.
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Disney is committed to helping serve communities across Central Florida improve food access, whether through hurricane relief, volunteering at food pantries, donations, and more.
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