PEERS Family Development Center

Tondrea Leach has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2011. Tondrea worked as a Victim Advocate on Camp Lejeune, and worked with the Onslow County Department of Social Services for 17 years where she gained experience in Child Welfare, Adult Services, and Economic Services. 

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Tondrea is a social worker, parent educator, and a North Carolina state trainer, as well as an Adjunct Professor at UNCW. Tondrea enjoys serving her community through fundraising and community events at PEERS. Tondrea is a member of her local church, and also serves as a member of several community boards and committees in Onslow County. 

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Samantha has been with PEERS officially sine June 2021 as our Processing Assistant., coordinating our Childcare Program, finances, oversees' our Outreach Programs and so much more.

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Samantha has been instrumental in expanding the ways PEERS is able to serve Onslow County. She currently manages our Partnership with the NC Diaper Bank, ensuring 100 children in Onslow receive diapers and wipes each month. Since April of 2023 she has given out over 40,480 diapers to families in Onslow County. Samantha also oversees PEERS Hygiene Outreach program and has given out over 400 hygiene products since June of 2023.

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Samantha is a Notary Public as well as a Child Passenger Safety Technician serving all of Onslow County. Samantha is the only Special Needs Car Seat Tech this side of Durham, NC. 

Samantha sits on the Safe Kids Onslow County Coalition board and also on the Thompson Early Head Start Policy Council. She is also a wrestling coach for a local non-profit youth wrestling program, Carolina Elite Wrestling Club.

Emily is an Onslow County native who grew up here in Jacksonville. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017 with a BA in Sociology where her focus was family development and policy impacts on local communities. She also completed the Shuford Program of Entrepreneurship and has a passion for small business and social ventures.

Emily returned to Onslow County and worked for several years as a middle grades Math Teacher. While she loved her time in the classroom, she is excited to now serve Onslow County in her role as PEERS' Adolescent Parenting Program Social Worker and Program  Coordinator.

Sarah Anders is the Social Worker for PEERS Parenting Education and Enhancement. She works with parents and agencies in our community educating them on parenting and child development. Sarah has her Masters in Developmental Psychology and is completing her Doctorate in Developmental Psychology. She has worked in Onslow County for over twenty years in the fields of social work and behavioral health serving both civilian and military populations. 

Jinwon is originally from South Korea. She has traveled to Japan, Africa, and Europe. These experiences gave her a ton of life lessons and the ability to work with a variety of people from different cultures. She moved to the United States 12 years ago when she was just 22 years old. Jinwon started working at PEERS in September of 2020 as a CSSA for our Adolescent Parenting Program. She is currently working on a Social Work degree to further enhance her ability to support the Onslow County community. She loves serving the Onslow Community and helping young parents and their children. She has one child of her own, whom she adores. 

Gema is a native of Costa Rica who calls North Carolina home. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Life Coaching and is currently pursuing a Master's in Social Work from Liberty University.

As an accredited Life Coach, speaker, and educator who has served the
Jacksonville community for thirteen years, she has developed a unique understanding of the community's challenges and struggles.

Gema served as the founder and director of Women of Courage, a Camp Lejeune mental health outreach for military spouses and children, from 2014 to 2022. During her tenure, Gema imparted valuable knowledge to military spouses on the significance of cultivating resilience throughout their military journey. Her profound comprehension of the impact of trauma on a community and her unwavering commitment to establishing trauma-informed and robust communities make her an invaluable addition to our PEERS family. 

Mandy has lived in Jacksonville for 29 years. She is married and has two children and enjoys going to the beach and curling up with a good book! She has been working with children for five years. She says, "I'm truly passionate about working with children and I look forward to watching your children grow, play, and reach their milestones. It takes a village! And I am very happy to be a part of your village!"

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