Chicago Public Schools will resume its program allowing families to pick up meals for students Tuesday after unrest in the city forced the school district to halt pick-up for Monday.
“We know our meal sites serve as a critical community resource and we are ready to resume this essential service for our families tomorrow following an assessment of ongoing activities,” CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson said in a news release issued Monday afternoon. “We support and stand with Chicagoans who are forcefully, yet peacefully, advocating for the rights of black and brown people."
The district initiated a one-day suspension of meal distribution due to potential transportation and safety challenges for families and staff, according to the news release. Starting Tuesday, additional Chicago Police Department officers will be in the vicinity of meal distribution sites to ensure the safety of families.
Hundreds of schools across the district have been pick-up sites for the grab-and-go meals for all CPS students since in-person learning was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The weekend brought protests across the city and the nation sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis captured on video. Looting and vandalism erupted in the Chicago area Saturday and Sunday nights, with windows broken, stores ransacked, fires set and more.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker activated a contingent of the Illinois National Guard to Chicago at Mayor Lori Lightfoot's request on Sunday. The city and several suburbs put a curfew in place, shut down public transit and advised residents to stay home as unrest continued.
