The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) has named Darla Koff, Supervisor of Child Nutrition for Caesar Rodney School District in Delaware, the recipient of the Vulcan Equipment Grant, worth up to $50,000 in specialty school foodservice equipment. The grant is among 2025 SNF Equipment Grants available to help school meal programs overcome staffing, budget or operational challenges. The additional funding supports programs working to expand fresh and scratch-made menu options, increase efficiencies and enhance the cafeteria experience to nourish students’ school days.
Several schools within the Caesar Rodney School District are in need of oven replacements. Thousands of dollars have been spent on repairs to the high school’s 13-year-old oven to address various issues. The door to the double-stack oven at W. Reily Brown Elementary no longer closes properly and repairs are not possible because of the age of the appliance. New equipment will save the district time and money, avoiding down time for repairs and enabling employees to work more efficiently without the need to share equipment.
“New equipment will empower our staff to create more diverse and nutritious menu options for students. Expensive equipment repairs and increasing food costs have taken a toll on our budget and new equipment will alleviate repair expenditures while increasing student meal program participation,” said Koff.
Koff said menu possibilities are endless with the upgrades. She is thrilled to welcome investments in necessary equipment to cook small sample batches of new menu items such as sauces, vegetables and seared foods. She added that full-functioning equipment will enhance employee efficiently and alleviate expenditures on repairs.
“We are pleased to assist the district with much-needed upgrades and the opportunity to utilize Vulcan equipment,” said SNF Chair, Becky Domokos-Bays, PhD, RD, SNS. “Darla and her staff are committed to serving students nutritious, high-quality meals and each upgrade will improve various areas of their food service operations.”
As the recipient of the Vulcan Equipment Grant, Caesar Rodney School District will be awarded up to $50,000 worth of Vulcan equipment. They will work with a Vulcan representative, part of the ITW Food Equipment Group, to determine what best suits their school district’s specific needs.
In addition, Caesar Rodney School District was also awarded one of 50 Innoseal Set-up Kits, including two Innoseal Professional Sealers and a case of 28-pack multi-color refills. The SNF Innoseal Equipment Grant enables schools with an efficient bag sealing machine that keeps fruits and vegetables fresh.
About School Nutrition Foundation:
The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) is the charitable arm of the School Nutrition Association (SNA). SNF supports school nutrition professionals by offering grants and scholarships, providing free training opportunities and identifying research, trends and innovations. The 2025 SNF Equipment Grants are made possible by the generous contributions of Alto-Shaam, AmTab, Cambro Manufacturing, Food Warming Equipment Company (FWE), Hobart (ITW Food Equipment Group LLC Brand), Innoseal, LTI, Inc., Sterno Delivery, Vulcan (ITW Food Equipment Group LLC brand), and Winston Foodservice.
About School Nutrition Association:
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 50,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students. For more information on school meals, visit www.SchoolNutrition.org/SchoolMeals.
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