Yesterday, USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced $50 million in grants for schools to invest in food service equipment to continue serving students nutritious meals. This is in addition to $30 million in equipment grants disbursed by USDA earlier this year. The announcement was made following up on the recent White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and in support of National School Lunch Week (October 10-14).
USDA will provide the equipment grants via formula to states, then states will award competitive grants to successful school district applicants that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Funds may be used to purchase upgraded equipment that supports:
- Serving healthier meals, including those sourced from local foods;
- Implementing scratch cooking;
- Establishing or expanding school breakfast;
- Storing fresh food; and
- Improving food safety.
A table with state-by-state funding for the equipment grants is attached to this post. For more information on how to apply to the program, please contact your state agency. For a quick rundown of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health,
read AASA's blog.
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ASBO USA
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