The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) has named Mary Beth Sheffield, Child Nutrition Director for Tishomingo County School District in MS, the recipient of the Vulcan Equipment Grant, worth up to $50,000 in specialty school foodservice equipment. The grant is among 2026 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.
After multiple service calls, the combi oven at Tishomingo School K-8, was deemed completely nonfunctional and beyond repair. The loss of this essential piece of kitchen equipment has reduced cooking capacity, forcing menu substitutions and limiting the school’s ability to prepare scratch-cooked meals, roast vegetables and bake proteins. The Vulcan grant will help the district replace this and other outdated equipment at the high school and Belmont Elementary K-6, enabling staff to prepare healthy meals more efficiently, reduce manual labor and better manage service times for students.
While temporary fixes have allowed the program to continue daily operations, staff is often forced to adjust production schedules, modify recipes and use alternative equipment that requires more hands-on labor and time. These workarounds increase fatigue, reduce efficiency and incur repair costs. Tishomingo County High School 9-12 relies on aging and increasingly unreliable equipment to serve a large student population. New equipment will stabilize operations, reduce emergency maintenance expenses and support nutrition goals. Tishomingo will work to restore and expand diverse menus, increase scratch cooking, and incorporate more fresh and locally sourced foods to support student health as well as nutrition education.
“Restoring and expanding meal production capacity will improve the quality and appeal of our menus and allow for smoother service to students,” said Mary Beth Sheffield, Child Nutrition Director. “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.”
In a recent School Nutrition Association survey of school meal program directors, 94% of respondents reported a need for more equipment and infrastructure to expand scratch preparation and reduce reliance on ultra-processed foods.
“We are honored to present this grant knowing it will play a critical role for Sheffield and her team to address critical equipment needs and move toward a more proactive maintenance and replacement strategy,” said SNF Chair, Gay Anderson, SNS.
As the recipient of the Vulcan Grant, Tishomingo County 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.
To view the grant winner’s video submission, visit: https://vimeo.com/1203610990
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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