Chicago Public Schools to Launch Summer Meals and LunchStop Programs for Summer Break on June 27

CHICAGO -  Chicago Public Schools today announced the launch of its Summer Meals and LunchStop Programs to support students and their families during the break. As it has done in the past, the District will continue to offer free, nutritionally-balanced meals at various locations across the District this summer, beginning Monday, June 27.

“We know that hunger does not go away when school doors close,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “The summer months can be difficult for families who count on our School Nutrition Program and so we’re excited to once again offer a variety of nutritious meals to help alleviate any stress and keep our students healthy and ready to learn as they return to school in late August.” 

CPS will provide meals at no cost to students in summer school programs through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a program administered by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

In addition to summer meals served indoors, CPS also offers meals at outdoor school locations throughout the summer through the District's LunchStop program. The LunchStop program provides free, healthy meals across Chicago to children ages one to 18, even if they are not enrolled as a CPS student. Parents can look up the meal distribution sites outside schools via the District’s LunchStop Meal Finder. 

PROGRAM DETAILS: 

WHAT: CPS LunchStop - Free Summer Meals

WHO: Open to children ages one to 18 and. Children do not need to be CPS students to receive a free meal.

WHEN/WHERE: June 27 - August 12; Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. -12 p.m. @ Locations across the city

• LunchStop Meal Site Finder: cps.edu/mealsites

• Parents and students can also text ‘FOOD’ or ‘COMIDA’ to 304-304 and type in a zip code to find nearby summer meals sites, along with operating days and times.  

The Office of Student Health and Wellness hotline, 773-553-KIDS, can also help connect families to SNAP and WIC if they are in need of additional assistance. 

For additional information, flyers, and location cards, please visit cps.edu/summermeals.

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