ARLINGTON, VA (June 17) – 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, Food Service Director for Fulton Independent Schools, KY
Recipient of the 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, Director of Child Nutrition for Lumberton ISD, TX
Recipient of the 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, Child Nutrition Program Director for Marshall County School District, AL
Recipient of the 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, Nutrition Director at Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, MO
Recipient of 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, Director of Child Nutrition at Gadsden City Schools, AL
Recipient of 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, Child Nutrition Director for Tishomingo County School District, MS
Recipient of the 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, Director of Nutrition Services for Milwaukee Public Schools, WI
Recipient of the 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, Food Service Director for Prairie Central CUSD #8, IL
Recipient of the 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, Food Service Director for Armada Area Schools, MI
Recipient of the 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, Food Service Director at Boys Town (Father Flanagan’s Boys Home), NE
Recipient of the 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, Food Service Director for Union City Area School District, PA
Recipient of the 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.
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 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, to:
- Katherine Alexander, Director, Mt. Abraham Unified School District, VT
- Debra Baer, Food Service Director, Perry County School Dist. #32, MO
- Kathleen Bayes, Student Nutrition Services Supervisor, Trotwood-Madison City School District, OH
- Vonda Bradford, Director of School Nutrition, Franklin County, TN
- Anji Branch, Child Nutrition Director, Gooding Joint School District 231, ID
- Kelly Buff, SN Supervisor, Hickory City Schools, NC
- Kim Burns, Director, Centennial SD, OR
- Cathy Buttram, Director of School Nutrition, Oneida Special School District, TN
- Amy Cirillo, Director of Food Service, Eastpointe Community Schools, MI
- Lateef Clark, Food Service Director, Berne Knox Westerlo CSD, NY
- Tawny Cowell, Director of Nutrition Services, Shasta Union High School District, CA
- Sharon Dyke, Food Service Director – Coordinator, Middle Country Central School District, NY
- Melissa Elliott, Food Service Director, Armada Area Schools, MI
- Ashlee Ellison, Food Service Liaison, Belton School District 124, MO
- Alayna Ewell, Director, Emery County School District, UT
- Cheryl Fliss, Dir. of Food Services, Klingberg Family Centers/Raymond Hill School, CT
- Kimberly Foster, Managing Director of Operations, KIPP Atlanta Schools, GA
- Bailey Fritsch, Food Service Director, Crittenden County, KY
- Natalee Gaylord, Food Service Director, Uinta County School District #6, WY
- Jessica Griggle, Food Service Director, Plum Borough School District, PA
- Sharon Henry, Supervisor, Midview Local Schools, OH
- Elena Hildreth, Exec. Director Student Nutrition, Yuma Union High School District, AZ
- Emily House, School Nutrition Coordinator, Gainesville City Schools, GA
- Jessiica Howell, Child Nutrition Director, YES Prep Public Schools, TX
- Carlee Johnson McIntosh, Director, Petersburg Borough School District, AK
- Cheryl Jones, Executive Director Nutrition & Risk Coordinator, Hall County School District, GA
- Darla Koff, Supervisor of Child Nutrition, Caesar Rodney School District, DE
- Molly Lauder, Child Nutrition Director, The Beta Foundation, TX
- Ramona Love, Child Nutrition Coordinator, East Central ISD, TX
- Jesica Lyons, Food and Nutrition Services Coordinator, West Sonoma County Union High School District, CA
- Devyn Manns, Child Nutrition Director, Mid-Del Public Schools, OK
- Kaitlin Meredith, Food & Nutrition Supervisor, Muscatine Community School District, IA
- Jessica Michel, Child Nutrition Supervisor, Fremont City Schools, OH
- Sunny Mitchell, School Nutrition Director, Giles County Board of Education, TN
- Christy Nale, Food Service Director, North Vermillion Community School, IN
- Shelly Rhyne Hughes, Chief of Child Nutrition Services, Lincoln County Schools, NC
- Erin Robinson, Supervisor of Food Service, Coatesville Area School District, PA
- Melody Schorbahn, Food Service Director, Galesville Ettrick Trempealeau, WI
- Renee Slotten-Beauchamp, Director, Milwaukee Public Schools, WI
- Ashley Smith, Child Nutrition Director, Athenian eAcademy, UT
- Jeana Smith, Director, Thomas County Schools, GA
- Kathy Soleimani, Child Nutrition Director, LVUSD Child Nutrition, CA
- Heidi Stevens, Food Service Director, AOS 98, ME
- Taryn Stewart, Dir. of Nutrition Services, Covington Independent Public Schools, KY
- Lani Thacker, Food Service Director, Boyd County Public Schools, KY
- Rachel Thatcher, Food Service Director, Weiser School District #431, ID
- Nicole Trunk, Director of School Nutrition, Barrow County, GA
- Jeremy Wells, Director of Food Services, Pittsfield Public Schools, MA
- Brittany Williams, Director of Child Nutrition, Lumberton ISD, TX
- Krissy Zumsteg, Food Service Director, New Haven Public Schools, MO
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 2026 SNF Equipment 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.
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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