Hollywood trade publication VARIETY recognized DC Entertainment’s “We Can Be Heroes” giving campaign in its annual Entertainment Philanthropy Report, released today. The new report highlighted DC Entertainment’s efforts to raise awareness and funds for the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa by leveraging DC Comics’ iconic Justice League characters .

Leading up to the report, VARIETY accompanied DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson during a visit earlier this summer to the New Roots farm in San Diego, a farm launched and run by Somali refugees with the help of “We Can Be Heroes” partner International Rescue Committee (IRC). The visit offered a first-hand look at the challenges and opportunities refugees face in rebuilding their lives in the United States and the role that IRC plays in helping communities build a more healthy, secure and sustainable future.  Just as the “We Can Be Heroes” giving campaign is focused on long-term solutions for the people in the Horn of Africa, the IRC’s New Roots program helps refugees become self-sufficient and contribute to their new home through community gardening, nutrition education and small-business farming.   During the visit Nelson explained DC Entertainment’s approach to the “We Can Be Heroes” campaign, telling VARIETY, “we wanted to focus our energies behind a single philanthropic effort that allowed us to hit a critical mass of real support. The more we learned about the situation on the ground we realized that it’s really urgent and really solvable.”

To date the “We Can Be Heroes” campaign has raised nearly $2.5 million to help fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa through various crowdfunding and online auction initiatives. This amazing accomplishment could not have been reached without the support of DC Entertainment’s fans, and to that we say THANK YOU!