WESH 2’s annual Share Your Christmas food and fund drive is back for its 39th year
Updated: 12:35 PM EST Dec 13, 2024
WELL, TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY FOR US HERE AT WESH TWO. IT IS THE 39TH YEAR OF OUR SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVE. ALL OF THE MONEY AND FOOD COLLECTED WILL GO TO SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS STAY FED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AND BEYOND. THIS IS A CHANCE FOR ME TO GIVE BACK TO SOMEBODY TO HELP OUT, AND IT’S HARD TO DRIVE PAST AND NOT HELP. EVERY LITTLE DONATION CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS. OUR NEWS TEAM IS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY COLLECTING FOOD AT SIX DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA FOR ANOTHER HOUR, SO THERE IS STILL TIME TO GIVE. AND WE ARE GETTING THINGS STARTED IN MARION COUNTY. JASON GUY IS LIVE IN OCALA GREETING DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS AT DELUCA TOYOTA JASON. YES. YEAH. OH, WHAT A GREAT DAY HERE. AND IT’S ONLY ABOUT TO GET GREATER. AND THAT’S COMING UP HERE. STICK AROUND. WE’VE GOT TRINITY CATHOLIC STUDENTS THERE HELPING UNLOAD ALL THESE CARS. WE’VE GOT A LINE OF VEHICLES OUT HERE. LOOK AT THIS. MIKE KIRBY SHOWING US ALL THE PEOPLE READY TO DONATE TO SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS. THEY’RE GOING TO PACK UP THESE FAMILY BOXES, AND THEY ARE GOING TO GET THEM OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY VERY SOON. THANK YOU FOR GIVING TODAY TO SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS. AND WE’VE GOT SOMETHING SPECIAL OVER HERE. I’M GOING TO TAKE YOU OVER TO THE MAN OF THE HOUR, MR. FRANK DELUCA OF DELUCA. TOYOTA, WHERE WE ARE TODAY, AND HIS WIFE ANGELA, ALONG WITH JOEY STATHIS, THE GENERAL MANAGER HERE OF DELUCA TOYOTA. WE HAVE HAD A HUGE DAY. WE’VE GOT ABOUT EIGHT PALLETS UP HERE, WHICH IS WELL PAST THAT TEN ZERO POUND MARK. SO, MR. DELUCA, ARE YOU READY TO TO TO SIGN YOUR NAME TO THAT? I AM READY, YES. YEAH. I’VE BEEN A GREAT DAY OUT HERE. THE FOOD IS STILL COMING IN AND WE’VE DONE THIS NOW FOR SIX YEARS. AND ENJOY DOING IT WITH WESH 2. AND IT’S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO PRESENT THIS CHECK TO SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK FOR $10,000. OH, YEAH. COME ON, YOUNG PEOPLE, LET’S HEAR THAT. YEAH, $10,000. AND WHEN WE HEAR FROM SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK, THEY TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS. THAT’S 40,000 MEALS GOING BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY. MR. DELUCA, WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE FOR YOU AS AS SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THEY’VE GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS AREA? WELL, THAT’S AWESOME. AND I’VE ALWAYS GIVEN BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS. AND LIKE I SAY, GIVING BACK. NOT ONLY DOES IT FEEL GOOD, BUT IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. IT SURE IS. WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR SHARING THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT. THIS IS WHAT IT’S ABOUT. GIVING JOEY, ANGELA, MR. DELUCA, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. AND WE’VE GOT A LOT MORE COMING AHEAD FROM FRANK AND ANGELA IN THE DAYS TO COME. I PREDICT THAT SPIRIT OF GIVING IS JUST GOING TO KEEP ON GOING. THANK YOU. HEY, THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE DAY AND WE ARE STILL OUT HERE UNTIL 1:00 THIS AFTERNOON. I’M JASON, GUY FOR. SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS LIVE IN MARION COUNTY. WE’RE GOING TO SEND IT BACK OVER TO BREVARD COUNTY WHERE CHRISTINA WATKINS IS LIVE. YES. HEY JASON, I GOT TO TELL YOU, THIS BAND RIGHT HERE HAS BEEN GOING NONSTOP HERE IN BREVARD COUNTY AT THE BREVARD ZOO. AS THESE DONATIONS ARE JUST ROLLING IN CHECKS, CASH, AND OF COURSE, ALL THE NONPERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS, THIS IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO COLLECT SO FAR. AND WE’VE GOT ANOTHER BIG DONATION COMING. IF I CAN JUST WHEEL THIS RIGHT OVER HERE SO WE CAN INTRODUCE YOU TO ONE OF THE MANY ORGANIZATIONS WE HAVE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHO ARE GIVING THEIR TIME. AND OF COURSE, THE NONPERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS. THE BROTHERS OF OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED. CAMERON, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR CHRISTMAS. OF COURSE. THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK. THAT’S THAT’S A BIG THING THAT WE WANT TO MAKE KNOWN FOR EVERYONE OUT HERE, THAT THIS IS A VERY BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO. GIVING BACK IS THE NUMBER ONE THING. SERVICE AND DUTY. YEAH, THAT IS AWESOME. YOU ALL COLLECTED A LOT OF NONPERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS. TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU ARE BRINGING HERE TODAY AND HOW YOU ALL MANAGED TO BRING IT ALL TOGETHER. SO WE’RE BRINGING IN ABOUT 110 POUNDS OF OF NONPERISHABLE ITEMS. THESE WERE COLLECTED BY VARIOUS BROTHERS DONATING THEMSELVES OR DOING VARIOUS DROP POINTS AT A BROTHER JONES’S BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, AS WELL AS ANOTHER ONE OF OUR BROTHERS WHO RUNS THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB IN MELBOURNE. SO THIS IS HOW WE GOT THIS ALL TOGETHER. THAT’S AWESOME. WE’VE WE’VE MET MEMBERS OF THE DIVINE NINE THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. WE’VE BEEN HERE SINCE 6:00 AND SERVICE IS A KEY PART OF THESE SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE HELPING PEOPLE RIGHT HERE IN BREVARD? ALL OF YOUR DONATIONS STAY IN THIS COUNTY. IT MEANS EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO MAKE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THOSE THAT WE SERVE. AND THE FACT THAT WE’RE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THIS FOOD, DRIVE, IT MAKES US ALL ECSTATIC TO TO BE A PART OF THIS. THAT IS AWESOME. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THE BROTHERS OF OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED, THANK YOU TO BREVARD COUNTY FOR SHARING YOUR CHRISTMAS. WE STILL HAVE TIME TO GET OUT HERE TO THE BREVARD ZOO. WE’LL CHECK IN SOON, BUT FOR NOW, LET’S SEND IT OVER TO OSCEOLA COUNTY WITH WESH 2’S NANCY ALVAREZ. HEY NANCY. HEY, CHRISTINA. GOOD AFTERNOON. IT’S REALLY WARMED UP HERE IN CELEBRATION. IT ACTUALLY SNOWED HERE FOR MOST OF THE DAY, BUT THAT’S CLEARED UP. AND NOW I’M, LIKE, ROLLING UP MY SLEEVES. IT’S HOT, BUT WE HAVE JUST HAD SUCH A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE OUT HERE SERVING THE FAMILIES IN OSCEOLA COUNTY WHO NEED OUR SUPPORT AND SO MANY SPECIAL PEOPLE HAVE COME OUT, INCLUDING THIS GROUP RIGHT HERE, WHO I’M GOING TO GIVE THEM THE MIC FOR JUST A MOMENT. WHO? EVERYBODY COME AND SHARE YOUR CHRISTMAS. LET YOUR HEART BE. BEAUTIFUL. THAT IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN EXPERIENCING OUT HERE. AND THEN ALSO THIS. THIS IS WHAT WE’RE HERE FOR. ALL OF THESE DONATIONS THAT HAVE CONTINUED TO POUR INTO THIS SPOT IN DOWNTOWN CELEBRATION JACKIE WITH SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK IS HERE TO TALK TO US QUICKLY ABOUT HOW EACH OF THESE BOXES, I MEAN, IT’S GOING TO CHANGE LIVES FOR FAMILIES. EACH OF THESE BOXES IS MADE TO FEED A FAMILY OF FOUR FOR ABOUT A WEEK, AND WE SEND THESE OUT TO OUR MOBILE DISTRIBUTIONS TO ALL OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES. SO THEY GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TOMORROW, THEY’RE GOING TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. RIGHT. BUT WE’RE FILLING THEM UP WITH LOTS OF HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS, NONPERISHABLE FOOD. WE’RE GETTING PROTEINS, WE’RE GETTING PASTAS AND SAUCES AND VEGETABLES AND FRUITS AND ALL KINDS OF GREAT SOME NICE TREATS IN THERE. AND SO IT’S GOING TO BE A GREAT A GREAT MIX OF FOOD THAT THAT FAMILIES ARE GOING TO WANT TO EAT. YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS COME OUT, INCLUDING THIS GUY RIGHT HERE. LOOK, JUST A QUICK, QUICK LIVE LOOK BEFORE WE SEND IT BACK TO YOU. HI, SANTA. YOU’RE WORKING SO HARD. WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU, SANTA. AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT’S COME OUT HERE TO OSCEOLA COUNTY T
WESH 2’s annual Share Your Christmas food and fund drive is back for its 39th year
Updated: 12:35 PM EST Dec 13, 2024
WESH 2’s annual December holiday tradition, Share Your Christmas, returns for its 39th straight year of helping those in our community dealing with hunger. This year has seen the need for food assistance remain high. It’s why we continue to partner with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to make a difference for families, seniors, veterans, and children who don’t have reliable access to food, especially around the holidays.For 2024, WESH 2 will mark Share Your Christmas with a one-day, six-county food drive to help our neighbors. App users, click here to donateWhere to donateOn Friday, Dec. 13, from 6 a.m.-1 p.m., WESH 2 and Second Harvest will collect non-perishable food items at the following locations:BREVARD COUNTY: Brevard Zoo, 8225 N Wickham RoadLAKE COUNTY: Lake County Sheriff’s Substation SR 50, ClermontMARION COUNTY: DeLuca Toyota, 1719 SW College Road, OcalaORANGE/SEMINOLE COUNTY: WESH 2 Studios, 1021 N Wymore Road, Winter ParkOSCEOLA COUNTY: Celebration Town Center, Market Street, KissimmeeVOLUSIA COUNTY: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 W International Speedway Blvd (outside Tickets and Tours office)>> Donate onlineNew to Share Your Christmas?For more than three decades, WESH 2 has worked to help Central Florida families who struggle to keep food in their homes. The circumstances are different from family to family, but the impact hunger has is the same: defeating. Share Your Christmas aims to give those who are hungry some relief and let them know others care.All the food we collect goes to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida which distributes the donated items via its network of more than 625 food pantries in seven local counties. It’s important to know that all the food collected STAYS in the county where it’s donated. Share Your Christmas is truly neighbors helping neighbors.Get involved NOW!This is the time to start your food drive and be a part of our Share Your Christmas events. Individuals, groups, schools, and businesses are all encouraged to hold their own food drives, collecting non-perishable food to donate at our Share Your Christmas collection events held across Central Florida on Dec. 13.>> Download FlyerWhat to donateSecond Harvest Food Bank is looking for shelf-stable items that can fill up a family’s pantry for a week or more. Think about the things you have in your own kitchen cabinets and cupboards. Those helped by Second Harvest need all the same items we do.To help you get started, check out this full list of items put together by Second Harvest Food Bank. You can also download this poster to place around your collection to help others know what to donate and when to drop it off. If you’re a group, school and business planning a sizable donation requiring large or multiple vehicles to drop off, send us an email at syc@hearst.com and we’ll schedule your donation drop-off for one of our broadcast times.>> Donate onlineMost needed items: Fruits: Canned fruit (in its own juice, no sugar added varieties), dried fruit, 100% fruit juiceVegetables: Canned vegetables (reduced salt/no salt varieties), 100% vegetable juice, spaghetti sauceGrains: Rice, pasta, crackers (whole-grain varieties), ready-to-eat cereal (low sugar/high-fiber), oatmealProtein Foods: Canned meat/poultry, canned tuna/salmon (packed in water), canned/dry beans & peas (low/no salt varieties), peanut butterDairy/Dairy Alternatives: Nonfat dry milk, evaporated milk, soymilkMeals: Beef stew, canned soup (reduced sodium varieties), chili, other canned mealsOther: Nutritional drinks (ex: Ensure, Boost)Baby Food: Must be in complete, undamaged original packaging. No individual serving glass or plastic containers unless in an unopened case.Non-food Items: Diapers, toiletries (soap, shampoo, shaving cream, etc.). Must be unopened and stored separate from food donations.
WESH 2’s annual December holiday tradition, Share Your Christmas, returns for its 39th straight year of helping those in our community dealing with hunger.
This year has seen the need for food assistance remain high. It’s why we continue to partner with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to make a difference for families, seniors, veterans, and children who don’t have reliable access to food, especially around the holidays.
For 2024, WESH 2 will mark Share Your Christmas with a one-day, six-county food drive to help our neighbors.
App users, click here to donate
Where to donate
On Friday, Dec. 13, from 6 a.m.-1 p.m., WESH 2 and Second Harvest will collect non-perishable food items at the following locations:
BREVARD COUNTY: Brevard Zoo, 8225 N Wickham Road
LAKE COUNTY: Lake County Sheriff’s Substation SR 50, Clermont
MARION COUNTY: DeLuca Toyota, 1719 SW College Road, Ocala
ORANGE/SEMINOLE COUNTY: WESH 2 Studios, 1021 N Wymore Road, Winter Park
OSCEOLA COUNTY: Celebration Town Center, Market Street, Kissimmee
VOLUSIA COUNTY: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 W International Speedway Blvd (outside Tickets and Tours office)
>> Donate online
New to Share Your Christmas?
For more than three decades, WESH 2 has worked to help Central Florida families who struggle to keep food in their homes. The circumstances are different from family to family, but the impact hunger has is the same: defeating.
Share Your Christmas aims to give those who are hungry some relief and let them know others care.
All the food we collect goes to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida which distributes the donated items via its network of more than 625 food pantries in seven local counties.
It’s important to know that all the food collected STAYS in the county where it’s donated. Share Your Christmas is truly neighbors helping neighbors.
Get involved NOW!
This is the time to start your food drive and be a part of our Share Your Christmas events.
Individuals, groups, schools, and businesses are all encouraged to hold their own food drives, collecting non-perishable food to donate at our Share Your Christmas collection events held across Central Florida on Dec. 13.
>> Download Flyer
What to donate
Second Harvest Food Bank is looking for shelf-stable items that can fill up a family’s pantry for a week or more. Think about the things you have in your own kitchen cabinets and cupboards. Those helped by Second Harvest need all the same items we do.
To help you get started, check out this full list of items put together by Second Harvest Food Bank. You can also download this poster to place around your collection to help others know what to donate and when to drop it off.
If you’re a group, school and business planning a sizable donation requiring large or multiple vehicles to drop off, send us an email at syc@hearst.com and we’ll schedule your donation drop-off for one of our broadcast times.
>> Donate online
Most needed items:
Fruits: Canned fruit (in its own juice, no sugar added varieties), dried fruit, 100% fruit juiceVegetables: Canned vegetables (reduced salt/no salt varieties), 100% vegetable juice, spaghetti sauceGrains: Rice, pasta, crackers (whole-grain varieties), ready-to-eat cereal (low sugar/high-fiber), oatmealProtein Foods: Canned meat/poultry, canned tuna/salmon (packed in water), canned/dry beans & peas (low/no salt varieties), peanut butterDairy/Dairy Alternatives: Nonfat dry milk, evaporated milk, soymilkMeals: Beef stew, canned soup (reduced sodium varieties), chili, other canned mealsOther: Nutritional drinks (ex: Ensure, Boost)Baby Food: Must be in complete, undamaged original packaging. No individual serving glass or plastic containers unless in an unopened case.Non-food Items: Diapers, toiletries (soap, shampoo, shaving cream, etc.). Must be unopened and stored separate from food donations.