Happy New Year! The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who supported us in 2019. The Foundation had an incredibly successful 2019; we raised over $220,000 dollars! These donations and corporate sponsorships will help us go above and beyond in supporting our SNA members.

With this publication, SNF is reestablishing its quarterly newsletter Foundation Focus . Foundation Focus will include Foundation updates, news stories, scholarship and sponsorship opportunities. Please subscribe and follow us on social media! 

Now that we’ve entered the start of a decade with a clear vision, SNF wants to raise enough money to award 20 MORE scholarships to 20 MORE SNA members. SNF aspires to award these additional scholarships so SNA members can continue their professional development or attend SNA conferences. Join our team and ask how you can help make an SNA member’s dream come true.

In an effort to increase equipment grant opportunities, the Foundation has partnered with eleven corporate industry companies to award over $260,000 dollars’ worth of equipment to four deserving school districts in 2020. There is still a tremendous need for equipment to prepare healthy and nutritious school meals. Our hope is that this initiative will change the lives of not only the dedicated school nutrition professionals, but also the hundreds of children who participate in the school lunch programs at the chosen schools.

From all of us here at SNA Headquarters, wishing you and your families health and happiness in the upcoming year!

Sincerely,
SNF Staff 
Important Announcements
New ANC Scholarships Available
SNF continues to partner with AccuTemp Products to award 20 ANC First-Timer scholarships to attend ANC. New this year, Asian Food Solutions and SNF are partnering to offer 20 more ANC First-Timer scholarships to SNA members. That’s a total of 40 ANC First-timer scholarships! JTM Food Group has also partnered with SNF to award 4 additional ANC scholarships per year, for the next five years, in honor of the beloved Jack Thomas Maas. The scholarship will be named The Jack Thomas Maas Scholarship. Thank you AccuTemp Products, Asian Food Solutions and JTM Food Group for your support!
Consider Volunteering as a State Ambassador!
Are you passionate about school nutrition? Have you been looking for a way to give back to the school nutrition community? We are in need of SNF state ambassadors for the following States: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Volunteers are essential to the success of programs like this one. SNF without volunteers, is like a car without wheels. We need your help to reach toward our goals of giving back to SNA members! This is an opportunity for you to support a non-profit, think creatively, utilize leadership skills and make change in the community you care about. Make 2020 the year for new and exciting opportunities! Please email Heide Voss, Development Associate, at Hvoss@schoolnutrition.org if you or anyone you know would be interested.
Party with a Purpose to Support SNF
In an ongoing effort to increase awareness about the  School Nutrition Foundation  (SNF), attract new donors and increase unrestricted giving to SNF, we will continue to  Party with a Purpose  at each of SNA’s national conferences in 2020!

So far, 2020 has started out with a “bang” for SNF! During SNA’s School Nutrition Industry Conference (SNIC) last week, K-12 foodservice operators and industry came together in the new year in Indian Wells, California, to learn, collaborate and celebrate during SNF’s Party with a Purpose. Over $2,000 was raised throughout the conference. During the welcome reception, we kicked off the conference with some friendly competition between two SNF board members Jose Quinones and Michael Craig. Together, the two raised a little over $1,600 through our text 2 give competition. Michael Miller from Smart Systems won the guitar autographed by ANC19 headliner Andy Grammer! During the SNIC Welcome Reception and throughout the conference in Indian Wells, CA, SNIC attendees graciously contributed to SNF’s mission.
Your dollars can turn into  big change  in the lives of SNA members who receive scholarships to enhance their professional development and advance their careers. Look for us at LAC where we will  Party with a Purpose  on Sunday evening, March 8th, with a reception and a performance by The Capitol Steps. Plus, we'll be at NLC in Tempe, Ariz., and ANC in Nashville, Tenn., too (locations TBD). Thanks in advance for your generous support!
Congratulations to the Following School Nutrition Foundation Scholarship Winners!

2020 Josephine Martin National Fellowship
Laurie Allocca, NM

2020 SNIC Scholarship Winners
Wendy Collins, ME
Mason Hollingsworth, CA
Stacy Lenihan, IL
Laura Lynn, GA
Kristen Slade, WI
Kelsey Warren, OH
SNA Announces 2020 Josephine Martin National Policy Fellow
Laurie Allocca, an SNA member and Nutrition Services Manager at the New Mexico School for the Deaf located in Santa Fe, was named the 2020 Josephine Martin National Policy Fellow. Founded in honor of Dr. Josephine Martin, a pioneer in the field of school nutrition, the fellowship provides up to $3,000 to cover expenses for travel to SNA’s annual Legislative Action Conference in Washington, DC.
Government and legislation processes have always been a passion for Ms. Allocca. She believes that
“to make a difference, one needs to be knowledgeable and involved. However, it typically takes more than “one” individual. This is why the School Nutrition Association and the action and advocacy of its members during LAC is so valuable. It validates that our roles as school nutrition professionals extend far beyond each kitchen. LAC reminds all school nutrition staff that we are part of a larger mission; part of an entire nation feeding our young, facing many of the same rewards and challenges.”
Attending LAC will enhance her career because she feels it is one of the richer opportunities for school nutrition professional development. “It’s an active experience where we both give and receive” and she plans on speaking with the New Mexico legislators to expand her knowledge and skill set. Allocca was recently appointed as the Bylaws & Resolutions Chair for the New Mexico SNA and knows that her learning at LAC will directly support her Board performance, position and duties.
Scholarship Deadlines Approaching
January 31 st , 2020 is an SNF scholarship deadline to remember! Want to earn your degree? SNF is also accepting applications for Professional Development Scholarships to help cover the costs of tuition and books for a degree in a school nutrition related field. SNF has been working hard to expand our equipment grants program for the new year in order to improve the critical state of members’ kitchens. The 2020 SNF Equipment Grants Scholarship Program will now be a common application , apply today! The deadline for both applications is… you guessed it, January 31 st ,2020 at 11:59PM EST!

For questions, please contact scholarships@schoolnutrition.org .
Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom
SNF, along with the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom are sharing their tools, resources, and videos in a newly launched website that is easier to navigate.  Check it out if you are looking to expand your breakfast program! We have a lot of great info and insight to share. The Partners have been granting for a decade to With the generous support of the Walmart Foundation, Partners for BIC has provided technical assistance and over $11 million in funding to support the implementation of breakfast after the bell models in more than 500 schools in 70 districts, leading to over 100,000 additional children eating a healthy school breakfast since 2010.
L.E.A.D. to Succeed Training Grant
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service has awarded SNF a nearly $2 million grant to develop a training program for school nutrition professionals. SNF’s L.E.A.D (Learn, Educate, Advance, Develop) to Succeed initiative will examine and address professional and workforce development needs of school nutrition professionals in the areas of Personnel Management and Communication, Marketing and Customer Service. We have hit the ground running with planning and development of curriculum. Stay tuned for more info! 

In closing, be on the lookout for our quarterly Foundation Focus and please pass the message along to anyone you feel might be interested in hearing more about the School Nutrition Foundation. If you have any questions, please reach out to SNF@schoolnutrition.org .