NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson’s corporate-wide anti-bullying and LGBT equality initiative is expanding as it kicks off its third year in June. Since 2012, donations raised through CARE WITH PRIDE™ have supported PFLAG’s anti-bullying efforts and this year, The Trevor Project and Family Equality Council are newly added beneficiaries. By the end of 2014, it is projected that CARE WITH PRIDE ™ will have raised more than $500K for our LGBT charitable partners since the program’s inception in 2012.
The theme for this year’s program is “Caring for All Families” and emphasizes cultivating respect and equality for the LGBT community, specifically in school systems. Bullying, in particular, is a common concern for most families. The unfortunate reality is that nearly one in 3 students report being bullied during the school year.1 For LGBT students, it’s even worse. Eight out of 10 LGBT students report having been verbally harassed at school, while four out of 10 have been physically harassed at school.2 Students who experience bullying are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, and poor school adjustment.3 And most alarming, LGB youth are four times more likely, and questioning youth are three times more likely, to attempt suicide as their straight peers.4
“Our commitment together is to raise awareness about the negative impact that bullying has on the overall health and well being of young people,” said Alex Gorsky, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors for Johnson & Johnson. “We have had great success with the CARE WITH PRIDE™ initiative over the past two years and have built significant momentum in a short period of time. Last year alone, we helped reach more than 100,000 students and faculty with a message of inclusion and acceptance.”
Central to this year’s program is the Safe School Action Pack, a booklet containing top ways to make schools safe for all students. Booklets contain approximately $55 in savings from more than 20 Johnson & Johnson brands. For every coupon redeemed, Johnson & Johnson will make a donation to our LGBT partners and will guarantee a total minimum of $215,000. The booklets will be distributed at more than 100 LGBT events across the country and can be downloaded at www.CareWithPride.com.
In addition to redeeming coupons, consumers can also support CARE WITH PRIDE™ by uploading a photo through Johnson & Johnson’s Donate a Photo* app. Individuals can select PFLAG and Family Equality Council as their cause to donate to within the app. One dollar for every photo shared will go to the selected CARE WITH PRIDE™ charitable partner. Individuals can donate one photo a day, every day. Money raised through the Donate a Photo app for our LGBT charitable partners will be in addition to the $215,000 in donations already pledged as part of CARE WITH PRIDE™ campaign for this year.
