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Schools have until June 8, 2009 to apply for grant
ATLANTA, GA (April 15, 2009) – Less than a month ago, the USDA issued the “2009 Equipment Assistance Grants for School Food Authorities” memo under Public Law 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. The grant is a one-time appropriation of $100 million for equipment assistance to school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program.
In order to qualify for the grant, districts must show that the equipment being proposed meets at least one of four focus areas, one being “equipment that allows SFAs to support expanded participation in a school meal program (e.g., equipment for serving meals in a non-traditional setting or to better utilize cafeteria space)”.
Each state has slightly different guidelines for awarding the grant to its school districts, districts must check with their state representative for specific grant rules; many are posted on the School Nutrition Association’s website http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Level2_Custom.aspx?id=12076.
“This grant makes it possible for schools who could not previously afford to invest the money in expanding their program to now do so,” says Joe Clark, Product Manager of Healthy Vending at Horizon Software International, LLC. “With more students to feed in shorter lunch periods, schools miss out on feeding kids that don’t want to wait in the long lines. Reimbursable Meal Vending is the perfect opportunity to significantly expand participation without having to add labor or purchase all the equipment for a serving line. It ties directly into the POS system for full accountability, using student eligibilities and meal accounts. Parents can also make online payments via www.mealpayplus.com that can be used with Horizon’s vending machines, and have the opportunity to see what their child is purchasing.”
Schools only have until June 8, 2009 to apply, and must purchase equipment within 3 months of grant award. “The Reimbursable Meal Vending Machines give students the freedom to not stand in the POS line (or even eat in the cafeteria), and also the opportunity to purchase a la carte snacks when meal operations have ended for the day, providing additional sales revenues,” continues Clark. “We have several case studies that show a significant increase in both participation and revenue in schools where vending has been implemented.”The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service recognizes that vending machines may play an expanding role in the operation of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program. Personnel policies, labor costs, pressure on lunch room space, class schedules, and limited time all contribute to the need to explore more efficient and effective methods of delivering these important nutrition benefits to students.For more information contact Horizon Software at 1-800-741-7100 or visit www.horizonsoftware.com.
About Horizon Software International, LLC Founded in 1992, Horizon Software International, LLC is a global leader in software, services and technologies for food service operations, and a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. The company, headquartered near Atlanta, GA, offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower food service operations through great solutions. Horizon is a subsidiary of Roper Industries; common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ROP. For more information, visit www.horizonsoftware.com or call toll free (800) 741-7100.
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