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Looking to share the spirit of the season with some deserving local children, Walt Disney World Resort president Meg Crofton and her senior executive team recently loaded up a bus with holiday trimmings and set out for Sunnyside Village, a foster home in St. Cloud. Children at the facility receive mentoring and tutoring through the Bridges of Light Foundation, a 2009 Disney Helping Kids Shine Grant recipient.
After unloading all of their supplies in the facility’s family room, the group tapped into their inner elves to decorate a 9-foot tree, hang up garland and create a festive environment for the children to enjoy throughout the holidays. A “holiday wish” was also fulfilled as the Disney team surprised the Sunnyside staff with the donation of a big screen television, DVD player and Disney movies for their frequent movie nights.
“Many of these children do not have their parents or a family to care for them, so it means a great deal that Disney decorated their home with such love,” said Stacy Papp, co-founder of Bridges of Light Foundation. In expressing the importance of the activity, Papp pointed out that these gestures teach children to be more kind and compassionate to others, which then helps build a better community.
The work done by the staff at Sunnyside Village and the Bridges of Light Foundation to improve the lives of foster children is commendable. In providing mentoring services, they create positive relationships – a gift that keeps on giving by strengthening and building a child’s character.
To learn more about the Bridges of Light Foundation, visit their website today.