Disney Opens Wardrobe Warehouse for Employees Affected by Los Angeles Are…

Amid the devastating wildfires impacting the Los Angeles area, The Walt Disney Company has been working around the clock to find ways to support its community and employees in the LA area during this tragic time.

This week, Disney Entertainment Television invited employees, production crew, and their families who lost their homes to its wardrobe warehouse in North Hollywood to collect new or gently used clothing and shoes from recent Disney film and TV productions at no expense.

"Most companies are not sitting on an entire warehouse full of wardrobe - some of which has been barely used, if it's been used at all," said Heidi Chong, Vice President of Production Shared Services for Disney Entertainment Television. "We really want to emphasize to the families: 'If you come here, we've already organized everything for you. It's all on display on the racks. You can find what you need.' There are no limits to the amounts that people are getting; it's really about what they need."

Belen Buenrrostro, Manager, Asset Management, Disney Entertainment Television, jumped into action e-mailing her manager about opening the warehouse to those affected and said, "This might be a long shot, but can we make it happen?"

"The turnaround was so quick, but we had an outpouring of support," Buenrrostro continued. "It was nice to see us all come together as a Disney family to help everybody."

Heidi Chong, Vice President of Production Shared Services for Disney Entertainment Television.

Collective Compassion

To make this resource a reality, this employee-driven effort required company-wide collaboration.

Chong noted that "we involved a lot of teams to pull this event together quickly," including Disney Entertainment Television, Global Security, communications, and some of the production teams.

Disney Entertainment Production worked in the warehouse all weekend long - and by Monday, more than 80 Disney VoluntEARS were unpacking boxes, sorting items by size and style, and preparing to welcome members of the Disney community who needed their support.

"Disney has been coordinating a lot of resources through our Employee Care & Support team," said Chong. "We worked with that team to identify which families had been impacted and should be invited to this event."

Belen Buenrrostro, Manager, Asset Management, Disney Entertainment Television

Invitations were sent out via email earlier this week. Invited Cast Members and employees are asked to register online and select a shopping window that is convenient for them. If the dates and/or times do not work - or if they are in more urgent need - accommodations will be made to assist them.

"We really want to make the experience as easy and friendly as possible," Buenrrostro said. "We give everyone a rack and assign them a buddy shopper. We also set up a play area for the kids, where we stream Disney+ movies and offer games and snacks."

Common Thread

The warehouse includes wardrobe from productions such as Genius: MLK/X, grown-ish, The Old Man, Station 19, UnPrisoned, and Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. This has allowed Disney to offer a wide variety of options to each Cast Member, employee, and family member.

"It's very heartwarming to see everybody find things they like," Buenrrostro said. "We had one family that's really into vintage clothing, and they were so excited that we offer more than just new, store-bought items."

Buenrrostro noted that "we have tons of clothes" - over 250 racks, in fact, and were able to get another 50 racks in just a day.

The support that Disney is offering also extends to the greater Los Angeles area. Last week, the company announced that it is committing $15 million for initial and immediate response and rebuilding efforts.

According to Chong, the event has been empowering for everyone involved.

"Everybody wants to participate and wants to help those around them, but it's hard to know how," she said. "This was very tangible. There was real work to do, whether that was packing bags or unboxing new clothing items, and today we're seeing that make a real impact on individuals' lives at a time when everything feels overwhelming."

Chong said that this resource has been "something that's made me feel really proud to be part of Disney - especially today."

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