Efforts Around the World

Corporate Headquarters/The Walt Disney Studios
The VoluntEARS program for the Greater Los Angeles area covers Corporate, Filmed Entertainment, Feature Animation, Consumer Products and Imagineering, totaling approximately 13,000 employees. In 2003, this group participated in 146 projects with 4,676 VoluntEAR opportunities contributing 42,436 hours. It is administered by a 25-member VoluntEARS Steering Committee, along with advisors from the Community Relations Department. Project proposals are submitted to the Steering Committee for review and approval. Project leaders are then assigned to meet with the non-profit organization, recruit VoluntEARS, lead the group at the project and submit a wrap-up evaluation. During National Volunteer Week in April, a recognition function is held for everyone who has volunteered during the past year. Project leaders are honored and "VoluntEAR of the Year" and "Outstanding VoluntEAR Team of the Year" awards are presented.

Disneyland Resort
The primary focus for the Disneyland Resort Cast's community involvement is Children & Families, in addition to supporting Education, Health, Environmental, Arts and Social Service initiatives. VoluntEARS projects are considered and led by a 45-member CAST Steering Committee, guided by the Manager of Disney VoluntEARS and Cast Initiatives from Community Relations. In 2004 the Disneyland Resort accomplished 116,000 hours of community service through 90 projects supporting organizations such as The Blind Children's Learning Center, Community Action Partnership Food Bank, Children's Hospital of Orange County, AIDS Services Foundation and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The Disney VoluntEARS also completely refurbished a Disney themed children's playroom at the Downtown San Diego USO Center. Not only are Disneyland Resort Cast Members generous with their time, but in 2004 they gave $865,000 of their own money back to the community.

To celebrate Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary, Disneyland Resort Community Relations championed the creation of a new community outreach program - "Show Your Character". This program is designed to bridge the gap between non-profit organizations and today’s youth in an effort to develop lasting relationships between these two groups that will last far into the future.

The program will sponsor 50 youth-driven volunteer projects, developing a partnership between local high schools and community-based non-profit organizations. Students will partner with these organizations to implement projects designed to generate positive and tangible benefits for children and their families in our local community.

For more information, go to http://www.volunteercenter.org/showyourcharacter/

Walt Disney World Resort
Covering a five-county area in Central Florida, Walt Disney World Resort VoluntEARS accomplished more than 150,000 hours of community service in 2003. Leadership for the program comes from the VoluntEARS/Compassion team in Community Relations. Local VoluntEAR Action Teams are being created across the property, providing more cast an opportunity to contribute. Efforts at Walt Disney World are focused on children - it is the goal of these youth programs to engage children in society by creating healthy, guiding relationships with grown-ups, rewarding free time activities, and offering character-building opportunities, all while helping those children who face adversity. Disney VoluntEARS commit many hours to Give Kids The World and other organizations which bring children living with life threatening illnesses and their families from all over the world to enjoy Central Florida attractions. This year the Compassion program fulfilled wishes for more than 2,140 guests with life-threatening illnesses, distributing more than 11,000 tickets to the Wish Families.

Disneyland Paris
This program, established in 1991 one year prior to the Park's opening, was Disney's first formalized volunteer effort outside the United States. Called Le Club Bénévole, their logo features the character Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty and she acts as the program's ambassador/godmother. "Bénévole" stands for "voluntary/benevolent" and is the French name used for Merryweather in the film classic. A group of Cast Members meets monthly to discuss projects and goals for the program. More than 350 Cast members, representing 17 different nationalities, form Club Bénévole. The majority of the projects involve children; however, this group also organizes food and clothing drives, assists in telethons and charity walks, conducts a sale of unsold merchandise with the profits going to charity, and has hosted more than 2,000 children with life threatening illnesses and their families through the Disneyland Paris Medical Compassionate Program.

Disney VoluntEAR Activities - New York
Activities include:

  • New York Restoration Project - Michael Eisner & Bette Midler, along with dozens of Disney VoluntEARS worked to restore a park Harlem.
  • Disney Reading Together Programs
  • Back to School Backpack Drive
  • DisneyHand Holiday Programs
  • Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and the Revlon Run Walk
  • Special Olympics Metro Games
  • Meals on Wheels Senior Meal Deliveries
  • National Kids Day in Conjunction with Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club
  • Publicolor - Disney VoluntEARS painted parts of public school I.S. 90 alongside students.

Disney VoluntEARS Steering Committee for New York
Additionally, this New York committee continues beyond global initiatives and helps to run programs, events and activities through sub-committees that focus on specific community service goals. Each sub-committee has a chairperson or committee leader and hosts various programs, activities or projects during the year. These Sub-Committees include the following:

  • ABC All-Stars
  • Disney Blanketeers
  • AIDS Projects
  • Arts & Culture
  • ASPCA
  • Children & Family Services
  • Disney Publishing Reading Together Program
  • The Elderly
  • Environment Projects
  • HABITAT for Humanity
  • Health Issues
  • Hunger & Homelessness
  • Junior Achievement
  • Literacy Programs
  • Mentoring
  • New York Cares
  • Technology and New Media
  • Walks for the Cure

Click here to learn more about New York Corporate Community Relations.

North American Regional Areas
The Walt Disney Company has operations in various regions throughout North America in addition to our principal sites. This business presence represents a multitude of divisions from ABC television and radio stations, Radio Disney and Disney Store to ESPN Zone and Disney On Ice. Employees in these regional areas give back to their local communities through volunteerism and have formed Disney VoluntEAR Committees in Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Washington, D.C. These Disney VoluntEAR Committees get together regularly to identify and meet the volunteer needs of charities in their local communities. The grassroots efforts of our Regional Disney VoluntEARS build upon a tradition of cast members giving back to charities they are passionate about supporting. Additionally, Disney VoluntEARS in our regional areas lend a helping hand whenever a DisneyHand philanthropic event comes to their town. These special events include the DisneyHand Reading Together with Belle tour which visited twelve cities nationwide, Season of Compassion events which included Disney Characters visiting six hospitals bringing armfuls of goodies for the children, and the Armed Forces Sneak Peek PremEAR of The Even Stevens Movie which toured to twelve military bases bringing entertainment and comfort to service personnel and their families.

Below are recent Disney VoluntEAR Projects that took place in our North American Regional Areas.

    VoluntEARS help to make fitness fun for several teens from the local Boys & Girls Clubs.
    Atlanta
    Disney VoluntEARS partnered with the ESPN Zone to host the Zone Olympics for a number of lucky young people from various Boys & Girls Clubs in Atlanta. Over a series of weeks, the children were able to come in and play interactive games as they competed against their fellow Boys & Girls Club members for prizes.
    VoluntEARS help to make fitness fun for several teens from the local
    Boys & Girls Clubs.


    Chicago
    Disney VoluntEARS in Chicago teamed up to make a difference in the lives of children who were in need of new school supplies. They collected school supplies for a number of weeks and were able to fill 100 Disney back packs with all sorts of items like rulers, notepads, and calculators, to ensure that local students start back to school with confidence.    		 Disney VoluntEARS delivered over 100 Disney back packs filled with new school supplies to the Humanitarian Service Project, an organization that serves disadvantaged children.
    Disney VoluntEARS delivered over 100 Disney back packs filled with new school supplies to the Humanitarian Service Project, an organization that serves disadvantaged children.

    Mickey takes a quick break from his Disney On Ice performance to say hello to a few deserving children. Miami
    Disney VoluntEARS partnered with Disney On Ice to host 500 children from Amigos Together for Kids for a complimentary performance of Disney On Ice presents, "Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey". To enhance their "magical" experience, each child also received their very own Mickey binoculars.
    Mickey takes a quick break from his Disney On Ice performance to say hello to a few deserving children.


    San Francisco
    Disney VoluntEARS participated in the National Coastal Clean-Up day by coming out to clear debris and pick-up trash from a nearby beach. Although the weather was gorgeous, it was no "day at the beach" as VoluntEARS worked hard to clean the space of waste and make it a beautiful place for visitors and locals to come and enjoy.     		Disney VoluntEARS sift through ashes on the beach to find any trash that might be hidden underneath.
    Disney VoluntEARS sift through ashes on the beach to find any trash that might be hidden underneath.

    With pick-axes and shovels, VoluntEARS create the foundation for a new playground. Seattle
    VoluntEARS participated in the Day of Caring by building a new playground for the Islamic School of Seattle. In a day's time, they were able to turn a desolate, debris filled yard into an inviting and fun-filled place for children to play. The sweat, dirt and aches were well worth it as the VoluntEARS saw the final playground assembled at the end of the day.
    With pick-axes and shovels, VoluntEARS create the foundation for a new playground.


    Washington D.C.
    Disney VoluntEARS pitched in to help staff the Ducky Derby event, a benefit for Hadley's Park, an organization that helps communities build Universally Accessible Playgrounds that allow children of all abilities to play and have fun.    		 Disney VoluntEAR helps to escort the Ducky for the Derby.
    Disney VoluntEAR helps to escort the Ducky for the Derby.