This year the School Nutrition Foundation is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, and we invite you to celebrate with us! We are thrilled to commemorate this achievement, and look forward to continuing our mission to advance school nutrition programs by providing resources to school nutrition professionals. Our dedication is driven by our passion for the important work that SNA members do every day. Fifty years is a huge milestone, and we are excited to spend the next year celebrating our anniversary, fund raising, and helping our members achieve their goals! We’ll be using the hashtag #SNF50 on Facebook and Twitter, so tag your birthday stories and wishes using #SNF50 to share them with us.
Scholarships, educational resources, and research are a crucial part of what we do at SNF. “Our objective for the Foundation is to leave a lasting legacy, and a roadmap for the future leaders of SNF,” says Chair Scott Swogger. “It is our responsibility to carry the tradition forward, and provide new and greater benefit for the organization.”
Each year SNF conducts our Annual Fund Campaign, to help support the education of SNA members through education and professional advancement. We have kicked off our 2013-14 Annual Fund Campaign, with the goal of raising $50,000 by July 31, 2014. “SNF has funded important school foodservice research, and conducted a major campaign to raise funding to enhance the public image of school foodservice professionals and school meals in general,” says School Nutrition Foundation Executive Director Patricia Montague. “For over 20 years, SNF has been raising funds to provide SNA members the opportunity to achieve their higher education goals through a wide variety of scholarships; to date, SNF has awarded members over $2 million in scholarships.”
Our hope is to provide the tools SNA members need to become school nutrition leaders. “Our past scholarship winners serve as role models for those who come after them,” says Montague. “Our members are unique in that they will go out of their way to encourage one another at every opportunity; they genuinely care about each other.” SNF Chair Scott Swogger echoed this sentiment, saying, “The value and benefit of champions within this organization cannot be over-emphasized. Past scholarship winners have shared their excitement and stories of the difference that the scholarships have made. The value of hearing this from a peer is imperative; education is key to the future.”
In addition to scholarships, SNF also supports several projects including Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom, the Breakfast in the Classroom Resource Center, and the Food Allergy Resource Center. SNF’s dedication to continuing education and resource development is also evident in the Webinar Wednesdays® and Peer2Peer Connect Series, which helps connect SNA members and school food service community to information and other professionals on topics like school breakfast, Community Eligibility Option, and scratch cooking techniques. And as SNF celebrates 50 years, we look back with gratitude for those who paved the way, and we look to the future with excitement. The best is yet to come!
Pingback: Beyond Breakfast September Roundup: School Breakfast, Fuel Up to Play 60 Opportunities, and SNF Celebrates 50 Years!