A pair of Charlotte brothers have created a fun T-shirt line with a positive vibes theme, and half of the proceeds will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.
The original idea came about a month ago with 6 feet of distance was recommended to put up a roadblock to the aerosolized and droplet methods of transmission of the coronavirus.
The T-shirt concept conversation between John Diehl and his brother Matt quickly turned into a way the two would use the opportunity to give back to the community, and they decided one of the best ways was to help provide food to those who need it the most.
“Our mom used to tell us stories about how our grandmother grew up with little to no food and sadly had to go bed hungry many times,” Diehl said. “That is why our parents always made sure we were thankful for the food we had.”
The brothers know there are a lot of children out there going hungry right now, specifically ones who were on free and reduced-price lunch plans during school and the families with parents who lost their jobs.
They decided Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina would be the best fit for their fundraiser. Half of all the T-shirt sales will go directly to the food bank.
Second Harvest provides a regional distribution warehouse and branches that supply food and grocery items to charitable agencies that assist people in need. They serve 24 counties across the Carolinas.
The original concept for the shirts was to create fun and creative shirts that would make people smile and commemorate memorable events in their lives.
Trying to keep the entire project local, the brothers teamed with Mom n Pop’s Print Shop in Charlotte.
“They fully support what we are doing and look forward to being a part of our mission,” Diehl said. “In addition, Mom n Pop’s gets the shirts for print from a local supplier, Carolina Made in Indian Trail. In total, three small businesses will also be supported through this campaign.”
The brothers want people to stay safe, spend time with loved ones and make the most of their time by learning from this experience and continuing to support each other.
While there are many people out of work or going through trying times, the brothers said it is imperative that we all give back to our community any way we can. Volunteer work, donations and supporting your local, small businesses are great ways to get involved and contribute.
“Essentially the world has been turned upside down, but this can be taken as an opportunity to support each other and grow as individuals,” Diehl said.
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If you have an inspiring story to share, email Kevin Campbell, WSOC-TV/WAXN-TV/Telemundo Charlotte public affairs manager, at Kevin.Campbell@wsoctv.com.
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