Schools
Milford Public Schools Nutrition Department Receives Grant
SNF Grant will cover cost of replacing 45-year-old kitchen equipment
The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF), the charitable arm of the non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA), has named Carla Tuttle, foodservice director of Milford Public Schools in Milford, MA, the recipient of the Vulcan/Hobart Equipment Grant. School nutrition professionals around the country applied for SNF Equipment Grants in October 2019, vying for upwards of $65,000 worth of new equipment to benefit their school meal program.
By securing the Vulcan/Hobart Equipment Grant, Tuttle hopes to replace eight stacked ovens that are about 45 years old. Due to age, the equipment cannot be repaired and is hindering cooking time and temperatures, resulting in uneven cooking. The current oven doors do not close properly and temperature fluctuations have caused burned edges and loss of moisture and nutrients to foods, resulting in food waste and negative financial impact.
“Installing 21st century equipment will improve the overall quality of school meals at Milford High School,” said Tuttle. “We will have more precise control settings, increased energy efficiency and can support quicker outputs. Consistent cooking processes will improve food and staff safety as well.”
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The Milford School Food & Nutrition Services Department serves its 4,200 students through the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, while also offering summer meals, supper options and smart snacks.
“We extend our gratitude for the work our school nutrition professionals are doing during these unprecedented times,” said Mike Burke, K-12 ambassador at Vulcan. “We are proud to support them with these equipment grants and trust that they make a difference during good times and hard times. We are here to provide them a helping hand any way we can.”
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School meal programs operate on extremely tight budgets, funded by cafeteria sales and reimbursements for meals served. With revenue declines due to COVID-19 school closures, many school meal programs lack critical funds to purchase necessary equipment and supplies or cover transportation, temporary staffing and other costs associated with current COVID-19 feeding programs. SNF’s spring 2020 Help Feed School Kids Now! fundraising campaign will support grants to meet immediate emergency feeding needs. Applications started being accepted on April 13, and will be awarded on a rolling basis based on the volume of funds raised.
About School Nutrition Foundation:
The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF), a 501(c)3 and sister organization of the School Nutrition Association, awards grants and scholarships to the women and women who feed the nation’s school children. The 2020 SNF Equipment Grants are made possible by the generous contributions of Vulcan/Hobart, Winston Foodservice, CMA Dish Machines, Cooler Management, Eloma North America, Innoseal Systems, Jackson Warewashing Systems, Inc., Sterno Delivery, Unox, and Unified Brands.
About School Nutrition Association:
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 55,000 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.
