National Food Group, a leading food distributor for K12 schools nationwide, is again offering its Grab The Tab lunch debt relief program. Launched in 2023, Grab The Tab has already provided over $85,000 in funding and in-kind food donations for six schools in Michigan, Ohio, Arkansas, Texas, and Oregon.
With a record $100,000 set aside to help relieve school lunch debt this year, applicants for the 2025 grant program must apply between March 5 – 19, 2025 and explain how funding will benefit the students and families within their district. Winners will receive all or a portion of their meal debt paid off. Schools chosen will also receive a supply of Zee Zees® snacks, specifically formulated to meet K12 meal requirements.
Why is this funding so important? For the 2024-25 school year, only nine states offer programs making school breakfast and lunches universally free. In addition, financial pressures have increased with higher food costs, procurement challenges, staffing shortages, and the end of pandemic-era financial assistance. Nearly 69% of schools recently surveyed still have unpaid student meal debt.
“We are thrilled to bring back our Grab The Tab program and what it means to the communities who are impacted,” shared Tara Sharpe, Director of K12 Sales. “We’re even more excited to offer additional funding in 2025 to help our school food service customers and the families they serve pay off this growing debt.”
Grab The Tab is a program of Project SERVE, National Food Group’s corporate social responsibility initiative. The 2025 Grab The Tab contest will accept applications from March 5 through March 19, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit zzgrabthetab.com.
ABOUT PROJECT SERVE
Project SERVE's mission is to use innovation and service to impact our communities. Project SERVE is National Food Group’s corporate social responsibility initiative. The company pledges a minimum of 5% of its earnings and the team’s time and talents to help make food more accessible. It also provides opportunities and resources for individuals seeking a career in the food industry while supporting our global environment.
ABOUT NATIONAL FOOD GROUP
Founded in 1990, National Food Group is one of America's fastest-growing wholesale food service manufacturers and distributors. National Food Group's family of brands includes Zee Zees® better-for-you snacks for kids of all ages, Elated Plates®, innovative food items ensuring a supreme sense of satisfaction with every bite, and Fare Promise® for truly square and deliciously nutritious meals at remarkably low prices. National Food Group offers three core programs to help make budgets and planning easy: Always Available®, Opportunity Buys®, and Commodity Processing™. Our food experts can also develop original items to meet custom nutritional and pricing requirements. The company is headquartered in Novi, Michigan. For more information, visit nationalfoodgroup.com.
Program Contact:
Samantha Bourque, Corporate Social Responsibility Director
248-560-2398 | sbourque@nationalfoodgroup.com
