Responsibilities run deep for K-12 Foodservice Manager, Jodi Montufar. For Jodi, any given school day starts at 6:30 am handling paperwork. She then quickly moves on to preparing breakfast for the school’s kids with the help of her assistants. But it doesn’t end there. To say she wears many hats is putting it lightly. “I’m a secretary. I’m a cook. I’m a server. I’m a dishwasher. I take out the trash. I wipe the tables. I greet the children...” With so much on Jodi’s plate, it’s easy to understand why having reliable partners is important. “The food companies need to understand we can’t be shorted on stuff the kids are anticipating” she says. “If I don’t have the food that I’ve promised the kids, then I kind of feel bad because they’re expecting that.” Throughout our day Jodi gave us a tour of her cafeteria, but also guided us in understanding what’s really important to her. For Jodi, it’s not just about filling pantries and freezers. It’s also about filling kids’ stomachs with quality ingredients and offering new and inspiring menu ideas so they have the fuel to help stay focused in class. “Good nutrition feeds the brain, too,” Jodi says. “The kids have to learn. If they’re going to school on an empty stomach, they’re more concentrated on their stomach than on what they should be learning.” With more than 500 kids looking to Jodi and her assistants to nourish their minds and bodies, it’s a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly, especially as a mother to one of the very children she serves. “I feel like all the kids are under my wing,” she says, “because I just don’t like kids hurting. I just want them to be healthy. I want them to learn, I want them to play and I want them to grow up well.” With the help of Jodi and her assistants, kids are learning the fundamentals of good nutrition and getting the head start they need to help fuel their academic success. It just goes to show you that not all lessons are taught in the classroom. 4 What’s on the line for K-12 foodservice pros is so much more than just preparing food for children. On the Line From nutrition to knowledge. “The food companies need to understand we can’t be shorted on stuff the kids are anticipating.”