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SAFE TRAVELS EVERYONE. IT IS 615. THIS MORNING MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL FEELING THE IMPACTS FROM HURRICANE HELENE THAT DEVASTATED WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. MORE THAN SEVEN WEEKS AGO THAT STORM NOT ONLY WASHED AWAY HOMES AND BELONGINGS, BUT IT ALSO TOOK A TOLL ON OUR NATIONS BLOOD SUPPLY. WE ARE TEAMING UP WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS TODAY TO HELP WITH THIS URGENT NEED. IN OUR JACKIE PASCALE IS LIVE AT SHERWOOD FOREST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, THE SITE OF OUR COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE. GOOD MORNING JACKIE. WHAT IMPACT CAN PEOPLES DONATIONS MAKE TODAY? WELL, ADRIANA. AUDREY, WE KNOW THE AMERICAN RED CROSS ACCOUNTS FOR 40% OR MORE OF THE NATIONS BLOOD SUPPLY. SO A SHORTAGE, EVEN IN ONE AREA LIKE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT. AND THE RED CROSS SAYS HELENE DID JUST THAT. SO, LIKE REBUILDING AND RECOVERY, THERE WILL TAKE MONTHS. WE KNOW THAT IT WILL TAKE A WHILE FOR THE NATIONS BLOOD SUPPLY TO BOUNCE BACK. AS WELL. WE DID OUR BEST TO GET THE BLOOD OUT OF THE AREA AS BEST WE COULD. THE RED CROSS BRACED FOR IMPACT BEFORE HELENE, BUT NO ONE COULD HAVE PREPARED FOR THIS. HOMES AND BUSINESSES FLOODED OR WASHED AWAY BLOOD DONATION CENTERS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA ARE ALSO OUT OF COMMISSION. ALL OF THAT STOPPED BECAUSE THE PRIORITY WAS ELSEWHERE. WE USED RESOURCES LIKE THE VANS THAT THEY USE TO TRANSPORT BLOOD, TO USE THEM FOR FEEDING MISSIONS INSTEAD. HEATHER FRAZEE WAS DEPLOYED THE NEXT DAY. SHE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PIEDMONT TRIAD CHAPTER OF THE RED CROSS. THE PEOPLE THERE ARE INCREDIBLE IN TERMS OF THEIR RESILIENCE, AND EVEN THOUGH IN MANY CASES THEYVE LOST EVERYTHING, THEYRE THE ONES THAT ARE SAYING THAT THEYRE BLESSED. ITS OVERWHELMING, AS WE ALL LOOK FOR WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES. PEOPLE OFTEN FORGET A FREE WAY TO GIVE BACK IS DONATING BLOOD, AND THEY HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT WAS LOST. I SAW THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF IT. WE STILL HAVE A SHORTAGE BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY MISSED OPPORTUNITIES TO TO COLLECT DURING THAT TIME. OVER THE COURSE OF THE TWO DISASTERS WEVE HAD THOUSANDS OF UNITS OF BLOOD DRIVES, HAD TO BE CANCELED, LOWER SUPPLY MET WITH HIGHER DEMAND. WES HANES, A DISTRICT MANAGER WITH THE RED CROSS, SAYS PEOPLE INJURED IN THE STORM HAD EMERGENCY NEEDS FOR BLOOD ON TOP OF THE DAILY NEEDS AT HOSPITALS. THOSE THINGS THAT HAPPEN EVERY DAY, LIKE A CAR ACCIDENT OR AN INJURED VICTIM, MOTHERS GIVING BIRTH, CANCER PATIENTS, SICKLE CELL PATIENTS THOSE DONT CHANGE IN DISASTERS AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO NEED THAT BLOOD THROUGHOUT. AND SOME OF THOSE SURGERIES THAT THOSE ELECTIVE SURGERIES PEOPLE PUT OFF, THEY CAN ONLY PUT OFF FOR SO LONG. THE RED CROSS SAYS NOW IS THE TIME TO ENSURE THE BLOOD SUPPLY IS STRONG, ESPECIALLY GOING INTO THE HOLIDAYS. PEOPLE ARE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL AND IT GIVES THEM HOPE. THE RED CROSS WAS THERE BEFORE THE STORM AND WILL BE THERE LONG AFTER THE STORM. WE WILL ALWAYS BE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WE ARE AS WELL. WE HOPE TO MEET THAT EVER GROWING NEED FOR BLOOD WITH THIS BLOOD DRIVE TODAY HERE IN WINSTON-SALEM, WE ARE AT SHERWOOD FOREST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ON SILAS CREEK PARKWAY, AND WE ARE TAKING DONATIONS. 9 A.M. THROUGH 6 P.M. ON SITE. YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ON WXII 12.COM. BUT WE ARE ALSO TAKING WALK INS, SO JUST COME ON BY. STOP IN LOTS OF FREE GIVEAWAYS BEHIND ME. LOTS OF FOOD OPTIONS AS WELL. AND THEN OF COURSE, THAT REWARDING OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SAVE A LIFE. LI