AND WE HAVE GOT A HEARTWARMING INITIATIVE HELPING PEOPLE RIGHT HERE IN THE TRIAD TO TELL YOU ABOUT. WE ARE INVITING YOU TO JOIN US IN SPREADING LOVE ONE MEAL AT A TIME AT OUR FOOD DRIVE WITH SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK. TODAY WE ARE CHECKING IN NOW WITH OUR AUDREY BIESK WHO IS LIVE THERE THIS MORNING IN WINSTON-SALEM. AUDREY, HOW’S IT GOING SO FAR? GOOD MORNING. ARE YOU FEELING THE LOVE FROM THOSE DONATING? YEAH. YES, EXACTLY. JACKIE. GOOD MORNING. I’M SO GLAD YOU MENTIONED WE ARE IN THE MONTH OF LOVE. AND VALENTINE’S DAY IS ONE WEEK FROM TODAY. SO IF YOU’VE BEEN WONDERING, HOW CAN I SHARE LOVE WITH MY COMMUNITY TODAY IS THE DAY TO GIVE BACK TO SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED. THIS IS THE FIRST FOOD DRIVE OF 2024, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK, AND WE SURE HOPE THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO COME OUT HERE IN THE SHERWOOD PLAZA OR SET UP OUTSIDE THE LOWES FOODS IN WINSTON-SALEM ALL DAY LONG, WILL BE OUT HERE TODAY AND GREAT NEWS, YOUR DONATIONS GO EVEN FARTHER TODAY. WE HAVE A GENEROUS MATCH FROM THE BLOOD GROUP UP TO $10,000. THEY ARE MATCHING YOUR DONATION TODAY. NOW, IF YOU’RE WONDERING, WELL, WHAT DOES SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK NEED? I’D LIKE TO WELCOME ADAM DUFFY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE ITEMS THAT PEOPLE MAY ALREADY HAVE IN THEIR PANTRY, AND THEY CAN COME BY AND DONATE, BUT IF NOT, THEY CAN GO INSIDE THE LOWES FOODS AND PICK UP SOME OF THOSE GROCERIES AND COME ON OUT HERE AND PUT THEM IN THE BOXES. THAT’S RIGHT. SO WE’RE, AS ALWAYS, ASKING FOR NONPERISHABLE NUTRITIONAL FOOD ITEMS. WE SAY FOOD IS FOUNDATIONAL AND THAT FOOD SHOULD BE NUTRITIONAL AND HEALTHY. SO WE’RE LOOKING FOR PROTEINS, CANNED MEATS, CANNED FISH, CAN VEGETABLES AND FRUITS AND IN THEIR OWN JUICES. WE’RE ALSO I ALWAYS LIKE TO ASK FOR, YOU KNOW, YOUR OLIVE OIL OR SPICES, THINGS THAT YOU DON’T THINK THAT FOLKS ARE GOING TO NEED, BUT TO MAKE THOSE MEALS TASTE GOOD, YOU DO NEED SOME OF THAT. YOU NEED YOUR CEREALS, YOUR REST, YOUR BEANS, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE A WELL-ROUNDED MEAL HAPPEN. AND WE JUST ASK THAT IF YOU COME HERE TO THE STORE TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT AT YOUR TABLE? AND THEN MAYBE BUY TWO OF THOSE AND THEN THINK THAT YOU’RE SHARING SOME SOMETHING HERE IN THIS MONTH OF LOVE, YOU’RE EXTENDING THAT LOVE AND KINDNESS TO A FAMILY IN NEED. I LOVE THE WAY YOU EXPLAINED THAT ADAM. NOW ALSO TALK ABOUT YOUR IMPACT HERE IN FORSYTH COUNTY. THAT IS THE SITE OF OUR FOOD DRIVE TODAY. WE KNOW YOU RELY ON A LOT OF PARTNER AGENCIES AND THEY ALL, YOU KNOW, HELP THE MISSION OF SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK CONTINUE EACH AND EVERY YEAR. YES, WE GRATEFULLY WORK WITH 80 AGENCIES HERE IN FORSYTH COUNTY WHO HAVE ABOUT 150 PROGRAMS. AND WE LOVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THOSE RIGHT HERE IN OUR BACKYARD IN FORSYTH COUNTY TO HELP FOLKS IN WINSTON AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES WHO REALLY NEED THAT FOOD, BECAUSE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE SAW ABOUT A 50% INCREASE IN REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE LAST YEAR, AND THAT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE GOING AWAY. THAT NEED IS STILL THERE. WE’RE HEARING THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN IT’S IT’S COLD, HEATING COSTS ARE GOING UP. WE KNOW RENT AND COST OF EVERYTHING IS GOING UP. FINDING WAYS TO PAY FOR FOOD AND EVERYTHING ELSE. IT JUST IT’S HARD TO MAKE THAT BUDGET COME TOGETHER. SO FINDING A WAY TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY OUT AND HELP A FAMILY HAVE A MEAL, THAT’S A REALLY GREAT THING. THANK YOU, ADAM, FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR WHAT YOU DO. AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AT HOME IN ADVANCE FOR TAKING PART IN THIS MONTH OF LOVE FOOD DRIVE WITH SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK. IF THIS PART OF WINSTON-SALEM ONCE AGAIN, SHERWOOD PLAZA IS NOT PART OF YOUR DRIVE HERE IN YOUR COMMUTE IN WINSTON-SALEM TODAY, WE MAKE IT SIMPLE FOR YOU TO MAKE IT SECURE. DONATION ONLINE WITH THAT QR CODE, YOU JUST SCAN YOUR MOBILE DEVICE RIGHT ON IT. IT WILL TAKE YOU TO OUR WEBSITE. THERE YOU CAN MAKE THAT DONATION, BUT WE’LL BE SET UP OUT HERE THROUGH 630 THIS EVENING. CHRISTINE CRUZ. WILL TAKE OVER, SO WE SURE HOPE YOU’LL COME ON OUT AND SAY HELLO FOR NOW. REPORTING LIVE IN WINSTON-SALEM, AUDREY BIESK WXII 12 NEWS. AUDREY, THANK YOU AGAIN. SHE’S AT THE LOWES FOODS ON ROBIN HOOD ROAD COLLECTING THOSE MONETARY DONATIONS AND NONPERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS THAT ARE ALL HELPIN