GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Gaston County Schools staff have been busy this summer making sure students are getting free nutritious breakfasts and lunches through its federally funded summer feeding program.
What You Need To Know
Peggy Banner says taking care of her students and community is her passion
She serves up to 1,200 meals per day to students between breakfast and lunch
Banner goes out of her way to help her students with special needs find foods that they enjoy
They've reparing close to 300,000 grab and go meals to cut down on contact. If you can’t drive to school for pick up, they have a delivery option for your family.
Parents and teachers at North Belmont Elementary School say the cafeteria manager, Peggy Banner, is an unsung hero.
Banner has been working in the cafeteria for years. She says it started as a part time job when her kids were in school, but caring for these students and now community became her passion.
One of Banner’s favorite things to do is give back at North Belmont where her kids attended.
Year round she’s in the cafeteria bright and early, every morning, getting meals ready for kids who don’t always have access to food.
“When they’re home for the summer they don’t always have the opportunity for the food. We have delivery drivers that come to the neighborhoods that cannot come to the school and pick up,” Banner said.
This program isn’t just for these students, it’s open to anyone under 18 that needs a meal.
Between breakfast and lunch, Banner says she serves between 1,000 to 1,200 meals a day.
“We’ve been here every day and we really haven’t shut down at all,” Banner said.
One family Banner has developed a relationship with has a son, Grayson, who has autism and an autoimmune disease. Banner goes out of her way to make sure Grayson has food that he likes in his lunches.
“Miss Peggy knows his needs, because she’s known him since he started here,” Jennifer Mulwee, Grayson’s mom said.
“I think it’s important for him to know that we love him and we’re here for him,” Banner said.
Mulwee says Banner’s kindness has been life changing after COVID hurt her family financially.
“If it wasn’t for them, sometimes, I wasn’t sure if my kids would get three meals a day,” Mulwee said.
School staff not only makes sure kids get food Monday through Friday, but also sends families home with bags of food at the end of each week so kids have meals for the weekend.
“This is a Saturday and Sunday bag. They get a Friday bag, they get breakfast and lunch,” Banner said.
Making sure no child in Gaston County goes hungry.
“This is my community. I love it here and children are my passion, and just the thoughts that we help out with providing them with food so they’re not hungry is just amazing,” Banner said.
This goes on Monday through Thursday at North Belmont Elementary along the circle drive.
On Thursday, families will get food for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.