For Many Illinois School Kids, Hunger Doesn't Take Summer Vacation

(Undated) -- For thousands of Illinois school children, summer means not only a vacation from school, but missing nutritious meals that are part of their school day. Signe (SIG-nee) Anderson of the Food Research and Action Center says the summer of 2013 marked the first major increase in ten years in the number of low-income children able to eat summer meals, provided by federal Summer Nutrition Programs. According to statistics compiled by the group, Illinois last year ranked 27th among the states in providing summer nutrition programs, compared to a ranking of 29th the year before. More than three-quarters-of-a-million low-income Illinois school children are taking advantage of these summer programs during school vacation.