McMinnville School District Receives

The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) has named McMinnville School District (Oregon) Nutrition Director Shiloh Ficek and Nutrition Supervisor Joanna Duyck recipients of the Food Warming Equipment (FWE) grant for school meal programs, worth up to $25,000. Facing continued staffing and financial challenges, school nutrition professionals around the country applied for SNF Equipment Grants in the school year 2023-2024 to receive new equipment to benefit their school meal program and students.

The grant will allow the McMinnville School District to serve more students efficiently, increasing student participation and helping to alleviate strains on the program budget. Ficek believes that investing in modern and efficient equipment creates a safer, more sustainable and nutritionally diverse environment to benefit the students and the entire school district. The new equipment will support the integration of local foods and promote more scratch cooking, which will support the local community and provide students with more fresh, nutritious options.

“Our program is challenged by outdated and inefficient kitchen equipment, which often hampers meal preparation and poses concerns for staff,” said Ficek. “The Food Warming Equipment grant provides a critical solution to many of the obstacles we face and ensures a more streamlined cooking environment to enhance menus and recipe development.”

The current equipment has encountered electrical issues and replacement parts are difficult to find, according to Ficek. Equipment upgrades will alleviate the strain on the budget and personnel. Outdated equipment often requires frequent repairs and consumes more energy, leading to increased operational costs. Ficek anticipates the new, energy-efficient equipment will reduce maintenance expenses and utility bills, contributing to long-term financial sustainability.

“We are pleased to award the FWE grant to Shiloh Ficek, Joanna Duyck and the McMinnville School District,” said SNF Chair Becky Domokos-Bays, PhD, RD, SNS. “It’s very important that schools are equipped with modern kitchen facilities to enable various cooking techniques that introduce students to a wider range of healthy and flavorful school meal options.”

As the recipient of the grant, McMinnville School District will receive up to $25,000 worth of FWE equipment. They will work with a representative from the company to determine the delivery and installation of the new equipment.

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 2024 SNF Equipment Grants are made possible by the generous contributions of AmTab, Winston Foodservice, ITW Food Equipment Group (Hobart Equipment and Vulcan Equipment), Food Warming Equipment Company, Inc., LTI Inc. and Cambro Manufacturing, Sterno Delivery and Innoseal Systems.

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.