Disney Loans Talent to Heart of Florida United Way

Giving an annual gift of more than $3 million, Walt Disney World Resort is well-known as the largest corporate contributor to Heart of Florida United Way (HFUW). What is lesser-known is that Disney also makes a valuable annual in-kind contribution through the short-term loan of Cast Members who help HFUW with its annual fund-raising campaign.

“I feel so honored to represent Disney through my time and talents,” said Roxanna Ritchey, diversity & inclusion manager for Walt Disney World Resort, who is on full-time assignment with HFUW through the end of November. “This is an amazing opportunity to learn more about the Heart of Florida United Way, the needs of our community and how individuals and companies can get involved to make a difference,” she said.

Ritchey has spent the last two weeks undergoing immersive training at Central Florida’s most comprehensive health and human services charity so she can help drive its fundraising efforts in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Thus far, she’s found the experience to be memorable and impactful.

“I’ve been donating to United Way for about 30 years and used to think that I knew and understood the needs in our local community but this experience has shown me that there is so much more that I was not aware of,” said Ritchey, who has been on a whirlwind tour of HFUW-funded agencies in the region, including Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Children’s Home Society and The Salvation Army, where she helped feed the homeless. “I have learned there is a record level of need in our community. People’s lives are being changed daily through United Way programs and I have more respect than ever for the people that dedicate their lives to helping others.”

HFUW annually builds a fundraising team of approximately 25 loaned executives from various local companies that in turn help more than 450 local companies implement their United Way workplace campaigns. Since 1992, Disney has loaned a total of 79 executives to HFUW.

Disney Cast Members have their chance to participate in the annual HFUW campaign Aug. 16 through Sept.24. New this year, Cast who choose to increase their annual contribution to HFUW will have their increase matched dollar-for-dollar by Disney, up to a maximum of $250,000. All matched funds contributed by Walt Disney World Resort will go to the HFUW Emergency Assistance Fund, which provides immediate assistance to those in need.

In 2009, HFUW and the more than 140 programs it helps support served 363,888 people in need throughout Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Nearly 52 percent of clients served by United Way-funded programs are under the age of 19.

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