PC receives nutrition grant

The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) has named Susan Cavazos, Food Service Director for Prairie Central CUSD #8 in IL, the recipient of the Food Warming Equipment (FWE) Grant, worth up to $25,000 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.

The district’s efforts to move toward more scratch cooking are hampered by old equipment in frequent need of repair. The FWE grant will enable Cavazos and her team to replace warming cabinets and better serve the 900 students who regularly eat school meals across their six sites. Costs of constant small repairs to replace switches, rebuild motors or rewire have been adding up. New, more efficient warmers will alleviate those expenses and save the district on energy costs. 

“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 Susan Cavazos, Food Service Director. 

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. 

“This grant will make a positive impact on everyday operations, relieving the need for repairs and increasing the safety and comfort of the work environment,” said SNF Chair, Gay Anderson, SNS.

As the recipient of the Food Warming Equipment Grant, Prairie Central CUSD #8 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.