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Innovation in the School Kitchen from National Food Group

National Food Group Awards Three Schools Funding to Pay Off Meal Debt


NOVI, MI, July 2024—National Food Group, a leading food distributor for K-12 schools, is addressing a pressing issue affecting schools and students nationwide – unpaid school meal debt. As part of its 2024 Grab The Tab initiative, the company awarded three schools over $50,000 in total funding and in-kind food donations.  

 

Over 100 Grab The Tab applications were received from 34 states this year, underscoring schools' ongoing financial struggles in managing unpaid meal debt. After a thorough review, three schools were selected based on financial need and their commitment to providing healthy meals to students:

"We are incredibly grateful for the donation from National Food Group,” shared Keith Ahearn, superintendent of Fairview Park City School District, “to cover the outstanding lunch fees owed by students. This donation ensures that every child in the Fairview Park City School District will receive a healthy and nutritious meal without the burden of financial worries. This donation helps us break down barriers toward equity and inclusion in our school environment." 

 

“Every single application caught our attention and displayed such a great need across the country,” shared Samantha Bourque, Corporate Social Responsibility Director for National Food Group. “Many students rely on schools as their primary source for meals, and we applaud the cafeteria heroes who balance their budgets with students’ needs every day. While we are encouraged by the direction many states are headed in providing free meals to students, we were again thrilled to ‘Grab The Tab’ for these three communities.”

 

According to the Education Data Initiative, the U.S. continues to face a growing school meal debt crisis, with total unpaid balances exceeding $262 million annually. Nine states have introduced programs within the last two years that make school breakfast and lunches universally free. Still, sixty-eight percent of schools recently surveyed currently have unpaid school debt.

 

President Shannon Gleave, RDN, SNS, of the School Nutrition Association (SNA) believes much of the debt is due to old and new challenges, including

 

  • Increasing food costs
  • taff shortages
  • Menu item shortages
  • Discontinued menu items
  • Lack of items meeting nutrition need
  • Packaging shortages
  • Lack of competitive bids
  • Shortage of new equipment
  • Longer than normal lead times
  • Challenges getting families to submit free and reduced meal applications and household income forms

 

Grab The Tab is a program of Project SERVE, National Food Group’s corporate social responsibility platform initiative. To learn more and hear from individual schools about how this program impacts them, visit zzgrabthetab.com and watch the 2024 recap video.

 


 

ABOUT PROJECT SERVE

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 foodservice 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 also develop original items to meet custom nutritional and pricing requirements. The company is headquartered in Novi, Michigan. For more information, visit nationalfoodgroup.com.

 


 

Amy King

K12 Area Sales Lead
E: aking@nationalfoodgroup.com
P: 248-560-2323
jwojciechowski@nationalfoodgroup.com 

 

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