Feeding America and Disney celebrate 10-year collaboration providing produce for families in need

The Walt Disney Co. has contributed to Feeding America to support efforts to source more produce and increase the number of nutritious meals provided to children and families, according to a news release.

This is the 10th year that Disney and Feeding America have teamed up, the release said, and to celebrate that relationship, Disney will fund 30 Feeding America member food banks throughout the U.S.

The grant was announced on "Good Morning America" and featured an appearance by Michael Chernow, a member of City Harvest's Food Council, according to the release.

In fiscal year 2021, with help from donors like Disney, Feeding America secured more than 2.1 billion pounds of fruits and vegetables and plans to provide even more nourishing produce to families in need this year, the release said. "We are thrilled to celebrate 10 years of working with the Walt Disney Co.," Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, said in the release. "Long-term collaborations like this one are crucial to supporting the people we serve year after year, and Disney's produce grants are no exception. They are helping to make meaningful change in these 30 communities across the country. We are grateful for their continued support for our neighbors in need."

Since 2012, the release said, Disney has supported Feeding America's efforts to end hunger in the U.S., providing significant funding for the organization's produce programs and volunteer efforts at member food banks.

This year's funding will help food banks provide more fresh produce to kids and families facing hunger by removing barriers to sourcing and distributing produce, building capacity by increasing refrigeration and equipment at food banks or helping to store and distribute fresh produce within communities to people who need it most, the release said.

In addition to the produce grant, Disney has collaborated with Feeding America on a variety of other initiatives over the years and has participated in food rescue programs through its theme parks. Each year, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort provide hundreds of thousands of meals in food donations to their local Second Harvest Food Banks.

Disney VoluntEARS help collect, sort and distribute food, which provides opportunities for employees and cast members to engage their local member food banks and make a tangible impact on food insecurity issues in their communities, the release said.

ABC-owned television stations have supported local Feeding America member food banks in each of their eight markets by activating in local communities to donate nutritious food. The list of recipient food banks follows below:

• Central Texas Food Bank – Austin, Texas
• Connecticut Foodshare – Wallingford, Conn.
• Lowcountry Food Bank – Charleston, S.C.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina – Charlotte, NC
• Greater Chicago Food Depository – Chicago, Ill.
• Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano – Concord, Calif.
• Montgomery County Food Bank – Conroe, Texas
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina – Fayetteville, N.C.
• Treasure Coast Food Bank – Fort Pierce, Fla.
• Central California Food Bank – Fresno, Calif.
• Northern Illinois Food Bank – Geneva, Ill.
• Long Island Cares, Inc. – Hauppauge, N.Y.
• Community Foodbank of New Jersey – Hillside, N.J.
• Houston Food Bank – Houston, Texas
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County – Irvine, Calif.
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank – Los Angeles, Calif.
• Food Bank For New York City – New York, N.Y.
• City Harvest – New York, N.Y.
• Alameda County Community Food Bank – Oakland, Calif.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida – Orlando, Fla.
• Food Share of Ventura County – Oxnard, Calif.
• Feeding South Florida – Pembroke Park, Fla.
• Philabundance – Philadelphia, Pa.
• Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina – Raleigh, N.C.
• Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino Counties – Riverside, Calif.
• San Francisco and Marin Food Banks – San Francisco, CA
• Second Harvest of Silicon Valley – San Jose, Calif.
• Redwood Empire Food Bank – Santa Rosa, Calif.
• Food Lifeline – Seattle, Wash.
• Capital Area Food Bank – Washington, D.C.

To learn about Feeding America and the network of food banks, visit FeedingAmerica.org/Disney.