NEWS: Following Disney World Layoffs, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings Announces Plan to Reopen CARES Program

Last week, it was announced that Disney would be implementing massive layoffs for Disney Cast Members at both Disney World and Disneyland.

Cast Members Welcoming Everyone Back!

Today, Florida’s Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has come out with an announcement of a plan that will take shape in the coming weeks to help those affected.

Last week, the Mayor commented on the layoffs, and the major impact they’ll have on the Florida community.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings (Frank Weber, Orange County government)

He already announced that he’ll reopen the Orange CARES Individuals and Family Assistance Program, and today, Demings revealed new plans to boost financial aid for Cast Members in need. Exactly what he has in mind, and how he aims to accomplish that, is on everyone’s mind.

An empty Hollywood Boulevard on Labor Day Weekend

Mayor Jerry Demings announced that Orange County will be reopening the Individual and Family Assistance Program from the CARES Act funding in response to the massive amount of layoffs, including Disney World.

Cast Members singing outside Muppet Vision 3-D

Note that you do not need to have been impacted by the Disney layoffs in order to apply. Any unemployed Orange County resident can apply if they have not already received CARES Act funding, with a limit of one individual per household. The additional funding will provide a one-time payment of $1,000 to help “bridge financial gaps” during this time. The funding will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Main Street

There will be two application windows that will open at 8AM on Monday, October 12th, and 8AM on Saturday, October 24th. Each application window will close once 10,000 applications are received.

Slinky Dog Dash Queue on Labor Day Weekend

During this announcement, Mayor Demings noted that “with the news of so many county residents losing their jobs, there’s a pressing need to help those affected with rent and other household expenses.” Demings then said that the county will “continue to offer dollars through our families and individual crisis assistance program.”

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

If you believe you qualify for this funding, you can visit http://ocfl.net/orangecares for more information. We’re continuing to closely monitor this story as it develops and will provide as many resources as we can to assist those affected by the layoffs, including those in the link below.