An annual regional food drive has been put on hold this year, a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Chick-fil-A of Mount Airy is keeping the Surry County portion of the drive alive this year, with a food collection day set there on Dec. 16 as part of the restaurant’s 12 Days of Spark campaign.
Chad Tidd, owner-operator of the local Chick-fil-A, said the program is a way to help collect much-needed food for Second Harvest Food Bank, as well as a way to give the restaurant’s customers a little holiday bonus with meals purchased during the promotion.
Usually, the Second Harvest Holiday Food Drive is held over the course of a couple of weeks throughout the greater Triad region.
Tidd said Chick-fil-A of Mount Airy is generally the largest collection point in the annual campaign, even though Mount Airy is among the smallest of the communities covered by the annual event.
This year, organizers decided not to hold the Triad-wide food drive because of COVID-19, but Tidd said his restaurant is poised to carry on the Surry County portion of the event, utilizing COVID-19-safe practices in play every day at the restaurant.
Tidd said his company is partnering with Second Harvest — a food pantry based in Winston-Salem that helps supply food banks throughout the region, including those in Surry County. One reason for the partnership, he said, is that Second Harvest has a number of affiliations with food distributors and suppliers, along with grant sources, allowing it to get food at greatly discounted prices.
“For every $1 donated, that generates seven meals, which is pretty impactful,” he said of Second Harvest. “This is the eighth year in a row they’ve consistently been able to turn a dollar into seven meals, it’s a pretty incredible thing they can do because of their partnerships.”
On Dec. 16, Tidd said the Second Harvest trailers will be on site, ready to load up with food donations from area residents.
“Non-perishable food items, canned goods, boxed goods, anything to share with neighbors and friends that’s not perishable,” he said of what he’s asking area folks to take to the restaurant that day. “If there are monetary donations, 100% of those will go right to Second Harvest.”
He said it’s hard to quantify how much food they usually collect during the annual drive.
“We typically measure the food in boxes,” he said of large storage boxes the food is stacked in. Most years, he said Chick-fil-A in Mount Airy collects 30-35 full boxes of food, a value Tidd put at $10,000 or more.
“For eight years in row, we’ve been the leading site,” he said, quickly adding that is a testament to the residents of Surry County and their continued generosity.
On the food collection day, Tidd said his staff will have a drive-through drop-off set up for people to come through and give food and monetary donations.
“Our team members will be collecting items and following our normal safety protocols, including wearing masks,” he said. “You can stay in your vehicle and we’ll take the food for you, so we can do it as contactless as possible.”
Tidd said the restaurant also has a special treat for its customers, with free offers and discounts during the “12 Days of Spark,” running from Dec. 10 through Dec. 23. Specials include a free chicken biscuit for wearing an ugly Christmas sweater (that’s Dec. 14 from 6:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.), a free gallon of tea with purchase of a chilled tray, and a free cookie with the purchase of any meal on Dec. 23.
A full list of specials is available at the restaurant’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/chickfilaofmtairy
The Dec. 16 food drop-off day will begin at 6:30 a.m. and last until 7 p.m.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com