Grants will help schools overcome staffing, budget or operational challenges as they work to expand fresh and scratch-made menu options and improve programs.
ALEXANDRIA, VA, UNITED STATES, June 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF), the charitable arm of the non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA), today announced winners of its 2026 Equipment Grants Program. School nutrition professionals nationwide applied for grants worth more than $660,000 to help overcome staffing, budget or operational challenges as schools work to expand fresh and scratch-made menu options, increase efficiencies and enhance the cafeteria experience for students.
In a recent SNA survey, 94% of respondents reported a need for more equipment and infrastructure to expand scratch preparation and reduce reliance on ultra-processed foods. SNF grants are made possible by the generous contributions of Alto-Shaam, AmTab, Cambro Manufacturing, Food Warming Equipment Company (FWE), Fork Farms, Hobart (ITW Food Equipment Group LLC Brand), Innoseal, LTI, Inc., Vulcan (ITW Food Equipment Group LLC brand), and Winston Foodservice. Grant recipients will work with supporting companies to fulfill their unique needs, with equipment awards ranging from ovens, food processors, refrigeration, cafeteria furniture, holding cabinets, package sealing equipment, produce spinners, insulated tote bags and more.
2026 SNF Equipment Grant winners are:
Ashley Teasley, Fulton Independent Schools, KY
AmTab K-12 Indoor/Outdoor Furniture Grant worth up to $200,000
“Our dining area will become a place where students fuel their body and their minds; we want them to feel more welcomed. The grant allows us to improve the overall school culture and provide a positive atmosphere to nourish our students, many of whom experience food insecurity,” said Teasley.
Brittany Williams, Lumberton ISD, TX
AmTab K-12 Signage, Graphics and Decor Grant worth up to $100,000
“The cafeteria should be a warm and welcoming environment that invites students to eat. This AmTab grant will make a powerful difference for us to create a vibrant cafeteria experience that helps increase student participation, promote healthy eating and better reflect our pride in the program,” said Williams.
Casey Partain, Marshall County School District, AL
AmTab K-12 Social Media Marketing Grant worth up to $83,000
“I’m hopeful that seeing the smiling faces and great customer service of our staff, coupled with more photos of our healthy menu options, will change the perception of school meals. We want parents encouraging their students to eat with us each day,” said Partain.
Lori Danella, SNS, Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, MO
Winston Foodservice Equipment Grant worth up to $50,000
“We take pride in our food service department and having proper equipment plays a
crucial role in ensuring high quality meals are consistently available to nourish our students,” said Danella.
Mary Inzer, Gadsden City Schools, AL
Winston Foodservice Equipment Grant worth up to $50,000
“Our students see school meals as a lifeline and this grant helps ensure those meals are healthy and tasty. New food warmers will reduce burden and stress for staff trying to keep food safe and also help expand our menus and ensure smooth service of hot and fresh foods,” said Inzer.
Mary Beth Sheffield, Tishomingo County School District, MS
Vulcan Equipment Grant worth up to $50,000
“Restoring and expanding meal production capacity will improve the quality and appeal of our menus and allow for smoother service to students. The equipment will help us increase student participation beyond breakfast and lunch to after-school programs and special events, which will strengthen program sustainability and ensure more students receive nutritious meals each day,” said Sheffield.
Renee Slotten-Beauchamp, Milwaukee Public Schools, WI
Hobart Equipment Grant worth up to $40,000
“We started offering pre-made salads everyday this school year and the interest continues to increase. Engaging students in the process of harvesting lettuce for fresh packaged entree salads will also bring their science lessons to the cafeteria to highlight locally grown, school-made menu choices,” said Slotten-Beauchamp.
Susan Cavazos, Prairie Central CUSD #8, IL
Food Warming Equipment (FWE) Grant worth up to $25,000
“Presenting fresher looking foods and increasing our scratch cooking efforts will help drive more student interest in eating school breakfast and lunch. The new warmers will also provide a welcome relief of stress on our staff from having to manage constant repairs,” said Cavazos.
Missy Elliott, Armada Area Schools, MI
Cambro Equipment Grant valued at more than $10,000
“The new shelving will transform our cooler and freezer space to help us operate more efficiently and improve the overall quality of our meals to better serve our students,” said Elliot.
Chelsea Trofholz, Boys Town (Father Flanagan’s Boys Home), NE
LTI Equipment Grant valued up to $10,000
“The flexibility the cart provides to offer healthy, portable meals allows us to highlight fresh, higher quality options which will help increase student meal participation. When more of our students access nutritious food, we strengthen overall health and academic readiness, ensuring fewer students go without a meal simply due to access or time constraints,” said Trofholz.
Krista Byler, Union City Area School District, PA
Alto-Sham Equipment Grant valued at $9,000
“Our kitchen staff have risen to the occasion and done a terrific job of preparing more scratch-made recipes to sample with students and add to the menu cycle. The new holding cabinet will free up valuable prep space in the kitchen and directly support our efforts to add more scratch options for students,” said Byler.
“Increasing fresh and scratch-made meals requires equipment or staff that many schools simply do not have access to. We’re grateful that these industry partners can make a meaningful impact for school meal programs to update equipment or secure new resources and tools to better serve their students,” said SNF Chair Gay Anderson, SNS.
The 2026 SNF Equipment Grant Program is also awarding 50 Innoseal Set-up Kits, each containing two Innoseal Professional Sealers and a case of 28-pack multi-color refills. In addition to these grant winners, Fork Farms will award four regional winners in the fall with a Flex Farm indoor hydroponic growing system valued at an estimated $5,500.
The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) is the charitable arm of the School Nutrition Association, a national, non-profit professional organization representing 50,000 school nutrition professionals. SNF supports school nutrition professionals by offering grants and scholarships, providing free training opportunities and identifying research, trends and innovations.
Diane Pratt-Heavner
School Nutrition Association
media@schoolnutrition.org
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