BY KARISSA MILLER

Flow Automotive of Statesville recently donated $5,000 to Iredell-Statesville Schools District to help pay off student lunch debt.

Alex Paschold, group president of Flow Automotive of Statesville, said that their dealerships are committed to giving back to the communities they serve.

“We try to find and partner with the ones that create the biggest impacts within the communities where we work,” Paschold said.

Public school systems, he said, are an amazing part of the community that create future leaders and guide children.

“Some of the nutritional programs have struggled with funding in the recent years especially with COVID,” he said. “We wanted to help pay down some of those debts.”

Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Jeff James thanked the Flow group for the donation. No I-SS student is denied a meal because of their ability. As a result, he said, the district incurs debt.

“We know that children cannot learn and focus when they are hungry. It is important to make sure students’ needs are being met so that they can be successful,” James said.

He recalled a time when he suspended a student for 10 days. The child was worried about food security because of being out of school.

I-SS School Nutrition Director Angel Helms said the donation is “wonderful and much appreciated.”

The donation will help 12 schools pay off lunch debts and leave an unpaid balance of about $13,000.

During a check presentation ceremony, Paschold also presented checks to the Boys & Girls Club’s Abby Winthrop SMART Girls program, Fifth Street Ministries and Home Alone, which combined with the I-SS check, totaled $16,000.