Feeding the Community: Second Harvest on Triad Today

On Saturday, November 22^nd, attorneys David Daggett and Griff Shuler appeared on Triad Today with their guest Eric Aft, CEO of Second Harvest of Northwest North Carolina. Hunger is a pervasive nationwide issue, and during the holiday season having local support is especially critical. Watch the segment to learn about how Second Harvest helps to address these issues in our local community.

Second Harvest’s mission is to fight food insecurity issues while addressing the root causes. This isn’t limited to food distribution (although that is a mainstay of the program); the organization also provides nutrition education to help people understand how food can fuel their bodies and have a positive impact on overall health. Second Harvest also offers a culinary training program which provides career opportunities for people who have historically faced barriers to employment.

Second Harvest works with nearly 500 partners across 18 counties to help distribute fresh, nutritious food. The need for programs like Second Harvest is overwhelming; in North Carolina alone, 1 in 5 children and 1 in 7 individuals face food insecurity issues every day. 40% of those served by Second Harvest are children.

These food insecurity issues have only increased in light of the recent government shutdown that cut off SNAP benefits. To get an idea of the scope of this impact, in North Carolina approximately 1.4 million people receive those greatly needed benefits, 300,000 of which are in the areas Second Harvest serves. In fact, in October 2025, Second Harvest and their network served their highest number of people in their history – 89,000 people. The shutdown contributed to a staggering 25% increase in those in need of food assistance.

If you’re in need of some help during these tough times, please visit the Second Harvest website. Not only can they provide meals through their network, they can also help with applying for SNAP benefits, Women, Infants and Children program (WIC), obtaining summer meals for children and teens, and providing nutrition education resources.

Supporting young people is something that the team at Daggett Shuler is passionate about. From the Safe Sober program, which encourages everyone to make the right choice when it comes to drugs and alcohol use, to the Back-to-School Backpack Program, to their annual holiday food drive which benefits Second Harvest, investing in the future of the community is a big part of Daggett Shuler’s mission. If you’d like to help support Second Harvest and their mission, you can make a donation here or check out their volunteer opportunities.

Later in the episode, David Daggett participated in the Roundtable discussion with Ogi Overman and Keith Grandberry. They talked about current news items and political issues.

About Daggett Shuler

The personal injury and disability lawyers at Daggett Shuler Law represent clients throughout North Carolina. Fill out the contact form below or call 336-724-1234 for more information or a free, no-obligation consultation.