For as long as Walt Disney World has been in Central Florida, the resort has worked alongside nonprofits and community leaders to support its neighbors in need — and that legacy is continuing this Hunger Action Month.
“Access to safe, healthy and affordable food is a critical need facing the Central Florida community,” said Tajiana Ancora-Brown, Director of External Affairs at Disney World. “Every day we’re working alongside nonprofit organizations and are focused on supporting this important cause in ways that only Disney can.”
Feeding Central Florida Through Disney Harvest
Since 1991, Disney World has collected excess food from the resort and donated it to local nonprofits feeding the hungry. It’s called the Disney Harvest program, and it’s a collaboration between Disney and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
Last year, Disney World donated more than 722,000 pounds of food through Disney Harvest. This equates to about 600,000 meals for Central Florida families. The donated food went to nine local nonprofits, from homeless shelters to food pantries.
For nearly 35 years, the program has not only helped feed hundreds of thousands of people, but it has also helped keep food waste out of landfills.
A 35-Year Relationship with Second Harvest Food Bank
Disney World has been working alongside Second Harvest to help address food insecurity in Central Florida for years, and that support goes beyond the Disney Harvest program.
“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.”
In 2024, Disney made a $150,000 donation to Second Harvest, which created around 600,000 meals for Central Florida families. The resort gave an additional $500,000 to Second Harvest that year in the wake of Hurricane Milton to help feed families in crisis after the storm.
Cast members and their families share the resort’s dedication to addressing hunger. Disney VoluntEARS spent nearly 3,500 hours lending a helping hand at Second Harvest last year. Through Disney VoluntEARS Grants and Disney Employee Matching Gifts, cast members selected Second Harvest to receive an additional $115,000 in donations in 2024.
Perry Crawley, Director of Disney Programs & Experiences, has been on the Board of Directors at Second Harvest since 2019. Now serving as Board Chair, he sees the need and the impact of Disney firsthand.
“I get to see the passion of our cast members and how that leads to real impact on Second Harvest and Florida families,” Perry said. “Their love for our community is what drives me. It pushes me to think of other ways we can show up and support those who need it most.”
Supporting Other Nonprofits Addressing Hunger
It takes a lot of helping hands to improve food access in the region. Many nonprofits work 24/7 to ensure Central Florida families have enough food to thrive, and Disney selected three of them to receive a 2025 Disney Grant. Of the $500,000 in Disney Grants awarded this year, $300,000 went directly to fund programs addressing hunger.
- 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.
“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 Central Florida
Next month, Disney World will once again participate in CANstruction Orlando, where Disney VoluntEARS will build a whimsical recreation of a Disney character made from food items that will be donated to Second Harvest.
In November, Disney chefs will be hard at work cooking up 1,000 Thanksgiving dinners that will be served by Disney VoluntEARS at Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.
And that’s not all. From providing hurricane relief to feed those in crisis, to volunteering at food pantries across Central Florida, there are so many ways Disney World continues to take meaningful action to help improve food access in its community.