Disney World Cast Members Are Helping Families in Need at Weekly Food Drives

Disney Cast Members are one of the biggest reasons that the parks are so magical and we love them dearly!

Cast Members

Disney recently made the difficult decision to lay off 28,000 Cast Members domestically. And many of the employees who were laid-off are still making an effort to help others who are in need during the current situation.

UNITE HERE Local 737, a union that represents theme park and hospitality workers, has been hosting a weekly food drive for families in need since the pandemic layoffs began. And FOX 35 News has reported that some Disney Cast Members who have been recently laid-off are giving back to the community by donating their time to assist at the food drives.

Magic Kingdom Cast Members in Costume

The union’s president Jeremy Haicken stated, “There’s thousands and thousands of hotel and restaurant workers out of work, laid-off, furloughed, with almost no income from the unemployment system, so people need food. It’s very basic.”

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Although the weekly food drive has been taking place on the weekends since the layoffs began, UNITE HERE Local 737 has now teamed up with Teamsters Union Local 385 to deliver food as well.

Mike McElmury, a Teamsters Local 385 Trustee, said, “We have a lot of members in need. A lot of families in the community, a lot of our own members, HERE’s members, it’s important. It’s important to take care of them in this time of need.”

Cast Members welcoming guests back to Magic Kingdom

Multiple laid-off workers have been using their time to hand out the food boxes. Each car that arrives at the food drive receives more than 90 pounds of food when they arrive at the food drive. Cars are given three 32-pound boxes of vegetables, meat, dairy, and more.