One of the most iconic songs from the over 100 years of Disney magic is When You Wish Upon a Star. Many kids (and kids at heart) wish upon a star to be able to go to Disneyland someday, to get a new car, or perhaps find a partner. Many others, however, wish upon a star and wonder where their next meal will come from. They do this while their stomachs growl and they face not just hunger, but uncertainty. It is not a fun place to be.
September is Hunger Action Month and the Disneyland Resort isn’t kicking the can down the road on this problem. For Hunger Action Month, the Disneyland Resort worked to raise awareness and also help alleviate hunger. One of the ways this was done is through Canstruction Orange County. This year is the 17th year of Canstruction, an international hunger relief charity. It has chapters around the world. Each year, the different chapters host citywide competitions where teams come together to build structures of canned food that also raise awareness about food insecurity in an effort to end it. The Disneyland Resort has been a part of this incredible effort since it began in 2008 and has even won several awards through the years for some of its builds.
For this special event, Disney VoluntEARS come together to build these “canstructures.” They are created from thousands of cans of food that are donated by the Disneyland Resort. For this year, over 8,000 cans were donated by the resort. After the month is over, they will go to the Orange County Food Bank to feed those who are in need.
“Canstruction is really two types of hunger action,” said Amanda Schwarz, Disneyland Resort architect and Disney VoluntEARS. “The first is our action with the donation of all the food used to build the structure, and the second is to raise awareness of food insecurity, which we hope inspires a ripple effect of action to donate to the food bank.”
Building these canstructures is not a simple task of just piling cans on top of each other. They require months of planning and preparation. Teams also practice building the structure ahead of coming to South Coast Plaza for the final build for Hunger Action Month. In this case, the theme that the Disneyland Resort team went with relates to the opening of the upcoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The attraction, which opens in November, continues the story of Princess Tiana after the event of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. With this as the inspiration, the team of Disney VoluntEARS built a recreation of Louis, Tiana’s loveable and jazzy alligator friend, out of cans!
Building a giant Louis at South Coast Plaza isn’t the only way that Disneyland Resort is working to bring awareness about food insecurity to the forefront. In Orange County, this is a significant problem. Disneyland Resort is combating hunger through multiple different efforts. This includes volunteer initiatives, financial contributions, and more. For Hunger Action Month, Disneyland Resort donated $100,000 to both The Orange County Food Bank, a part of Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC), and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County to help them continue their very important work in the community as well.
“Hunger is a critical issue in Orange County as thousands of individuals ranging from children to seniors are struggling with food insecurity among other basic needs,” says Gregory C. Scott, president and CEO of CAP OC. “We are deeply grateful to the generosity of Disneyland Resort for its contribution of $100,000 to support Community Action Partnership of Orange County’s OC Food Bank. Thanks to their commitment to our organization for more than 30 years, we are able to take meaningful steps to address poverty in our communities.”
Disney VoluntEARS have also worked to help end hunger and bring awareness to food insecurity in the community through multiple events throughout the years as well. Recently at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, snack bags were created for local community members. There was also a harvesting project of fresh produce at Harvest Solutions Farm. Both of these were done with Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. These kinds of projects help provide nutritious foods to those who so desperately need them. It also gives cast members the chance to give back to the community.
“It makes me feel proud to work for a company that loves to give back to their community,” said Disneyland Resort engineer and Disney VoluntEAR, Charlie Manalo. “It aligns with my values in terms of giving back and helping those who are less fortunate.”
The partnership between Disneyland Resort and Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County goes back over 10 years. Second Harvest has a mission to end food insecurity. For over 30 years, the resort has been donating financial support and providing thousands of hours of help from Disney VoluntEARS as well.
“Today in Orange County, a county known for its affluence, 1 in 10 individuals and 1 in 8 children is food insecure,” said Claudia Bonilla Keller, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. “Without the support we receive from generous donors like Disneyland Resort, we couldn’t provide the 35 million pounds of food that we deliver to our Orange County neighbors in need each year. Thank you, Disneyland Resort, for helping us work toward our vision of an Orange County with food and nutritional security for all.”
Disney shared that no effort is too small to help create a significant difference in the mission to end hunger. Ralph Stuhlmueller is an Executive Chef at Disneyland Resort and has been impacting the resort for over 28 years with his efforts to help combat food insecurity in the community. Ralph and his team collect excess food items at the end of each day from their operation in hotel banquets. All of these are then stored and then collected by partner pantries and food banks in Orange County. Ralph is one of many cast members who work to leave a lasting impact. Together, these efforts help build a brighter future for others who might not have that glimmer of hope otherwise.
Disneyland Resort is a source of joy and inspiration for all the world. It isn’t just for those who “come to this happy place,” though. It also uses the resources it has for good. With the issue of food insecurity, this can be life-changing.
