Together, with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) and USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), MILES ISD is dedicated to strengthening school meals to improve children’s health. As part of the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, we are excited to share that MILES ISD was awarded a grant for $149,999, to support our efforts to replace outdated kitchen equipment, hire staff, and address rising food costs with the ultimate goal of working collaboratively with partners to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. The Healthy Meals Incentives grant is part of an allocation of nearly $30 million by the USDA FNS to 264 school districts across 44 states and the District of Columbia.
“These grants are the largest targeted investment USDA has ever made for school meal programs in small and rural communities,” said Stacy Dean, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. “We want to ensure every child in America has the opportunity to attend a school with high-quality, nutritious meals, and this support is a step in that direction.”
As part of the Healthy Meals Incentives grant program, AFHK and its partners will provide us with in-depth individualized technical assistance to support and guide the implementation of key strategies to improve school meal quality, as well as help us to develop creative solutions to provide nutritious foods for the children we serve.
“Offering healthier school meals is key to helping our nation’s kids get the nutrients they need today and for their long-term development,” said Rob Bisceglie, CEO of Action for Healthy Kids. “Through this historic investment in school nutrition, we will help school districts across the country overcome challenges and develop solutions to provide nutritious foods for the children they serve.”
Learn more about the Healthy Meals Incentives and view a grantee map at: www.healthymealsincentives.org/grantees.
Required USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
This is the USDA non-discrimination statement that is required to go on any publications because the Healthy Meals Incentives Subgrants are funded by USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Anytime you have printed materials, webinars, or new sections on a website, you will need to provide the full text as displayed on the screen somewhere.
The following non-discrimination statement must be included on all materials produced by the Grantee for public information, public education, or public distribution:
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Required USDA Acknowledgment
Whenever publicizing work is completed, you're required to include the USDA acknowledgement.
This includes press releases, journal articles, presentations, and any other publication.
Acknowledge the support of USDA FNS whenever publicizing work under this grant:
• “This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.”
A shortened funding statement (see below) can be used on smaller pieces such as recipe cards, brochures, one-pagers, etc. and include the abbreviated version of the non-discrimination statement.
• “This project was funded using U.S. Department of Agriculture grant funds. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.”
USDA Copyright Information
USDA/FNS reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to reproduce,
publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use, for Federal Government
purposes, the following:
• The copyright in any work developed under a grant, sub-grant, or contract under a
grant or sub-grant.
• Any rights of copyright to which a grantee, sub-grantee, or a contractor purchases
ownership with grant support.
