Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Cos. has announced the expansion of CARE WITH PRIDE™ — its corporatewide anti-bullying and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality initiative — now in its third year. Since the program’s launch in 2012, donations raised through the initiative have supported PFLAG’s anti-bullying efforts. The Trevor Project and Family Equality Council were added as beneficiaries this year. By the end of 2014, it is projected that CARE WITH PRIDE will have raised more than $500,000 for Johnson & Johnson’s charitable partners since the program’s inception.

The theme for this year’s program, “Caring for All Families,” emphasizes cultivating respect and equality for the
LGBT community, specifically in school systems. Bullying is a common concern for most families. The unfortunate reality, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, is that nearly one in three students report being bullied during the school year. For LGBT students, the statistics are even worse. The Centers for Disease Control found that eight out of 10 LGBT students report having been verbally harassed at school, while four out of 10 have been physically harassed at school. Students who experience bullying are at increased risk
for depression, anxiety, sleeping difficulties and poor school adjustment. LGBT youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers.

“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 coupons for savings on more than 20 Johnson & Johnson brands. For every coupon redeemed, Johnson & Johnson will make a donation to its LGBT partners, with a guaranteed total minimum donation 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.