BY KARISSA MILLER

Iredell-Statesville Schools Child Nutrition staff, school employees and volunteers worked together on Wednesday at N.B. Mills Elementary School to provide free meals to I-SS students while schools remained closed due to poor road conditions.

N.B. Mills Nutrition Manager Heather Welborn arrived at the school around 6:30 a.m. to begin work.

“I know that our kids need to be fed. We are a high-priority school and our families rely on us,” she explained.

Welborn was joined by other Child Nutrition managers and employees from across the district. The team cooked hamburgers, hot dogs, and baked beans and prepared other sides.

As students and their families arrived to pick up food boxes, N.B. Mills Principal Sally Schultz greeted them outside the school.

“It’s been a great experience to see some of our kids back at school today,” Schultz said. “We miss them.”

Schultz said she’s proud of the nutrition employees and staff members who have stepped up to bring consistency, care and a sense of community back to the school building.

“One of the biggest things I’ve loved is seeing people come together to help each other. There is a strong sense of community and community partnerships,” she said.

Students and their families were greeted with smiles. A mom with two elementary kids and a busy schedule said her family had not been out of their home until Wednesday.

The children were happy to see the staff and talk about playing in the snow. The mom expressed appreciation as she carried their bags of food out of the cafeteria.

I-SS Child Nutrition Director Angel Helms said that USDA waivers allow school systems to provide free meals to all students regardless of income during remote learning because of inclement weather.

“A lot of these kids depend on these meals. With the schools closed for several days, many families don’t have access to that amount of food at home because normally their child eats at school,” Helms explained.

The staff served 394 meals in two hours on Wednesday, up almost 100 meals from Tuesday.

School board member Cindy Haynes was among the volunteers.

“This is a great way to show our students that we care about them even when school isn’t in session,” Haynes said.

Nutrition supervisors Graye Templeton and Lisa Caldwell said it was a rewarding experience.

“Being a part of this gives us a sense of purpose. I like being a part of anything that feeds children,” Templeton said.

“A certain little boy — we connected and it filled my heart with joy,” Caldwell said.

Yivanna Ortega-Gordillo, an N.B. Mills kindergarten teacher, served as a Spanish interpreter and also helped carry boxes of food for families.

“I got to see one of my first kindergarten class kids (now a fourth-grader),” she said.

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