The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) has named Casey Dickinson, Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Chesterfield County Public Schools in Virginia, the recipient of the LTI Equipment Grant to obtain a new Low Temp Industries (LTI, Inc.) Grab ‘n Go Cart valued up to $10,000. 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.
With a cafeteria built for 600 students in 1964, Falling Creek Elementary currently has more than 840 students. While the school nutrition team has adapted to meet the nutritional needs of students, having only two compact serving lines has hampered meal service and limited the number of menu options. The new cart will provide an additional modular serving line, allowing the school nutrition team to streamline service, reduce wait time for students and support increased meal participation. Opening up a third service area allows for more menu variety and enhances the overall student experience.
“Our main objective is to boost meal participation, ensuring more students have easy access to nutritious meals which can positively impact their focus, academic success and well-being,” said Dickinson. “We would also like to pilot a fresh fruit and vegetable bar and include more local produce, which is possible with an additional kiosk.”
Additionally, the upgrade would expand opportunity for more menu variety with afterschool programs. Dickinson added that the cart will provide a more visually appealing service model and eliminate the need for cold and hot holding bags.
“We’re proud to support schools like Falling Creek who are doing great work to nourish students despite limited capacity,” said SNF Chair, Becky Domokos-Bays, PhD, RD, SNS. “The grant will enable Casey and her team to expand menu offerings and make the cafeteria experience more efficient for staff and streamlined for students.”
As the recipient of the LTI Equipment Grant, Chesterfield County Public Schools will work with Low Temp Industries representatives to have the Grab ‘n Go Cart ordered and delivered to the school.
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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