Northern Illinois Food Bank expands free meal sites for kids during summer

CHICAGO - Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Summer Hunger Program is providing free meals for kids across the region as schools let out for summer break.

What we know:

The Northern Illinois Food Bank has activated its Summer Hunger Program to help children who depend on school meals during the academic year. With schools out, access to breakfast and lunch becomes uncertain for many families.

"So summer is the time of year where a lot of kids might not know where they're gonna have their lunch, their breakfast, or their snacks," said Jessica Willis, manager of the Child Nutrition Program at the food bank.

In response, the food bank has opened about 145 summer feeding sites across 13 counties. The sites serve breakfast, lunch and snacks to anyone 18 and under.

Each meal follows USDA nutri