CHICAGO – State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, is promoting a summer-long, free lunch program through the Chicago Public School system available to families in his district until the end of August. The program is offered to assist students who rely on free and reduced lunch during the school year.

“No kid should go hungry in a country as well-off as ours,” said D’Amico. “It’s our responsibility to work to end child hunger. We owe our kids nothing less.”

Currently, 80 percent of the 400,000 students in Chicago Public Schools receive free or reduced-price lunch during the school year. As such, the summer free-lunch program provides a bridge to all young people 18 and younger until the last day of summer vacation on Friday, Aug. 25. Children and young adults in D’Amico’s district can go to Palmer Elementary School, located at 5051 N. Kenneth Ave. in Chicago to receive a free lunch Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. To find one of the 90 other schools that provide free lunch, visit cps.edu/summermeals or call 800-359-2163.

“There are so many great resources in the community that can help improve residents’ quality of life,” D’Amico continued. “I will continue to do everything I can to connect residents with services, but please call me at 773-736-0218 or email me at johnd@ilga.gov if you ever have any questions about potential resources in the community.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, is promoting a summer-long, free lunch program available for the families in her district to utilize until the end of August. Local schools in her district will be offering lunches and summer activities for students.

“People are struggling to get by every day during the extreme heat of summer, and they have limited access to healthy meals and activities,” Harper said. “I strongly recommend that families with children under 18 look into this initiative and stop by for some quality food and fun.”

The Summer Food Service Program is an initiative of the United States Department of Agriculture, and administered by the Illinois State Board of Education. The program will benefit people 18 years of age and younger until Friday, August 25. Children and young adults can go to one of the following schools in Harper’s district to obtain free lunches:

• Air Force Academy High School
• Chavez Elementary Multicultural Academy
• Hamline Elementary
• Langford Community Academy
• Morrill Elementary Math & Science School

Families who attend will also have the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities to stay active during the summer months. For those in need of additional information, please call 800-359-2163.

As the former executive director of Grow Greater Englewood, Harper knows how vital it is for all families to have adequate access to nutritious food, as much of her legislative agenda this session has been about providing access to healthy foods through her Urban Agricultural Zones measure.

“For decades, portions of my district have had poor access to healthy food options, and I want to ensure that families can get the access to food they need not just over the summer, but year round,” said Harper. “Legislation I have been working on this year can help make that goal a reality. By first creating Urban Agriculture Zones with House Bill 3418, this would allow for local farmers’ markets and other businesses to consider investing in my communities and allow for families different choices in foods. Secondly, enacting House Bill 3157 would help eliminate food deserts across, not just Chicago, but across the state.”