CARE WITH PRIDE™ On Target To Deliver More Than $500K to LGBT Charities

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

About CARE WITH PRIDE™
Now in its third year, CARE WITH PRIDE™ is a multi-faceted campaign to raise awareness about the negative impact of bullying on the overall health and well-being of our youth, with particular emphasis on cultivating respect and equality for the LGBT community and LGBT families.  By the end of this year, it is projected that CARE WITH PRIDE™ will have raised more than $500k for its LGBT charitable partners since the program's inception in 2012.

About PFLAG
Founded in 1972 with the simple act of a mother publicly supporting her gay son, PFLAG is the nation's largest family and ally organization. Made up of parents, families, friends, and allies united with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT), PFLAG is committed to advancing equality and full societal acceptance of LGBT people through its threefold mission of support, education and advocacy. PFLAG has over 350 chapters and 200,000 members and supporters crossing multiple generations of American families in major urban centers, small cities and rural areas in all 50 states. 

The Trevor Project
Founded in 1998, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crises intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals between ages 13-24.

Every day, The Trevor Project saves young lives through its accredited, free and confidential phone, instant message and text messaging crisis intervention services. A leader and innovator in suicide prevention, The Trevor Project offers the largest safe social networking community for LGBTQ youth, best practice suicide prevention educational trainings, resources for youth and adults, and advocacy initiatives.

Family Equality Council®
Family Equality Council connects, supports, and represents the three million parents who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer in this country today and their six million children. They work daily to change attitudes and policies to ensure that all families are respected, loved, and celebrated—including families with parents who are LGBTQ. Family Equality Council is comprised of a community of parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren that reaches across this country. For 30 years, this community has raised their children and raised their voices toward fairness for all families.

About Johnson & Johnson
Caring for the world, one person at a time inspires and unites the people of Johnson & Johnson. We embrace research and science - bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people. Our approximately 127,600 employees at more than 275 Johnson & Johnson operating companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world.

Media Contact:

Avril Nunez

212.245.6040 ext 303

[email protected]

[1] National Center for Educational Statistics (2013)
[2] CDC (2010) The 2009 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Our Nation's
       Schools. New York: Gay, Lesbian Straight Education Network;
[3] CDC (2012). http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullyingfactsheet2012-a.pdf
[4] CDC. (2011). Sexual Identity, Sex of Sexual Contacts, and Health-Risk Behaviors Among Students in Grades 9-12: Youth Risk Behavior
      Surveillance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

*Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn't reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation.

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson