Serving Up More Than Just A Well-Balanced Meal Sandi Kramer is the Yankton School District Child Nutrition Supervisor, but she serves up more than just well-balanced breakfast and lunches. During the past 30 years with YSD, Kramer has been instrumental in the development of several programs bettering the community, including the Sack Pack program and the Angel Fund. The Sack Pack program provides nutritious, non-perishable and easy-to-prepare meals to children for the few days ago who just couldn’t get caught up. She would be $20 overdrawn and bring in $20 and then be overdrawn again the next day. When I told her we would put money from the Angel Fund into her account to help her, she started to cry.” Kramer said, when she started with the school district, she was told her program had to be self-sufficient. The money individuals pay for lunches and the funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s free and reduced lunch program are basically it. “The only difference between a business and working in the school is that we are not always just about making money,” she said. “We want to provide a balanced, healthy meal. The kids are really our top priority.” Of course, the funds from the Free and Reduced lunch program do not come without some strings attached. “Each year the regulations change a bit,” she said. “It becomes more challenging to find items and rethink our menus to fit those guidelines. Next year, sodium will be a target, and kids now have to take a fruit or vegetable with each lunch. But next year, they will have to take one for breakfast, also. I spend a lot of time looking at labels and scrutinizing everything from whole grain content to calories to fat and sodium content.” Of course, there is always some static when things change, Kramer said. weekends. “The school lunch is some kids’ only meal,” Kramer said. “We have volunteers who pack the sacks each week, and we really hope kids appreciate and like them. One of principals told me, if a kid is sick on a Friday, they won’t come in to get their homework, but they will show up to get their sack pack.” KRAMER continued on page 22 The Angel Fund is a recently-added program to help students with overdrawn lunch accounts. YOU’VE TAKEN CONTROL OF “Some kids just can’t ever get caught up,” she said. “I never want to YOUR CAREER. YOUR RETIREMENT turn away kids from getting a meal PLAN SHOULD BE NEXT. because they need money on their account, so we started a fund to help As your career advances, your retirement plan should, too. Rolling over kids. People can donate to the fund, and retirement funds from an employer-sponsored plan into an IRA can simplify we apply it to the accounts that need to your financial life. Plus, you’ll have the benefit of working with a be balanced. People would really be knowledgeable financial advisor to choose from a variety of investment surprised how many high school kids options that make sense for you. LIFE WELL PLANNED. have to pay for their own lunches.” And sometimes there are First Dakota Brokerage Services, Inc. A subsidiary unforeseen circumstances that create an Kathy Greeneway of First Dakota National TM overdraft of a lunch account, Kramer Certified Financial Planner Bank. Securities offered through Raymond James 225 Cedar Street, Yankton said. Financial Services, Inc. “A parent may be sick or something (605)665-4940 Member FINRA/SIPC an independent broker/dealer. is going on. Everybody has a story. I just Securities are offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, and are not deposits; not insured don’t want to take away food from a or any other governmental agency; not guaranteed kid,” she said. “I had a girl in my office a by FDIC National Bank and First Dakota Brokerage Services by the financial institution; subject to risk & may lose value. First Dakota are independent of RJFS. HERVOICE MAY/JUNE 2014 v 21