Pender County Schools concluded its Summer Meals initiative Wednesday after distributing 184,342 meals to children and families across the county.
The final distribution included 14,574 meals. At each weekly pickup, families received seven days’ worth of both breakfast and lunch items, helping children maintain access to nutritious food while school was not in session.
“Providing a full week of breakfast and lunch gave families a dependable source of meals throughout the summer,” said Kelly Ramos, Pender County Schools Child Nutrition Contract Manager. “We are grateful to the families who participated, to everyone who supported the distributions and to PET Dairy for helping us keep meals fresh and accessible across the county.”
PET Dairy, part of Dairy Farmers of America, supported the initiative by providing two refrigerated trucks through Mr. Dean Holmes and the company’s Goldsboro Branch. The trucks were stationed at the Maple Hill and Atkinson Town Hall meal sites, providing additional refrigerated storage to help maintain the quality and safety of the meals.
Pender County Schools extends its appreciation to PET Dairy, Mr. Holmes and the Goldsboro team, as well as the Child Nutrition employees, district staff, community partners and families who helped make the summer distributions possible.
The Summer Meals initiative served families at six locations throughout Pender County: Atkinson Town Hall, C.F. Pope Elementary, Malpass Corner Elementary, Maple Hill Presbyterian Church, Rocky Point Elementary and South Topsail Elementary.