Randolph-Sheppard Services - for SLAs & Licensed Managers
The Randolph-Sheppard Act was first enacted by the United States government in 1937. It provides a preference to visually impaired persons for the award of vending facility contracts on federally owned properties.
Traditionally, the preference was applied to small vending facilities such as concession stands and snack bars. Cantu, together with the Louisiana Department of Social Services acting as a State Licensing Agency, pioneered new trails in obtaining a Food Service contract for a selected visually impaired vendor for the dining facilities at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.
This was the first major Department of Defense contract awarded under the Randolph Sheppard Act. The efforts of Cantu Services, Inc. opened the door for the award of major DOD Food Service contracts for State Licensing Agencies and their selected visually impaired vendors across the country. The awards below were presented to Ricardo Cantu, by Charles Glaser, President of the Randolph Sheppard Vendors of America and Kevan Worley, President of the National Association of Blind Merchants, on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind for his drive and dedication in military feeding under the Randolph Sheppard Act. Mr. Cantu is now recognized as The Pioneer in Food Service Feeding at Military Operations with the Randolph Sheppard Program.
