Chicago fight for minimum wage hike is a family affair.

• Author: Kanaar, Michelle
• Position: ON THE LINE - Chicago, Illinois - Brief article

A Maria Garcia calls home to check on her children during a work break. Garcia is a single mother raising six children on Chicago's minimum wage, which just increased from $8.25 an hour to $10 and is set to hit $13 in 2019. She wants to move out of low-wage jobs to spend more time at home teaching and mentoring her children. "If we don't have the time or money to educate our kids then nothing will change," she said.

Garcia helps her daughter Litzy prepare for her school day. Her older siblings usually pick Litzy up after school and look after her until Garcia is off work.

To support her family, Garcia cooks at Albany Park's Huaraches Doha Chio as a full-time minimum wage employee. She also works a second job cleaning apartments.

On a rare weeknight off work, Garcia looks for food in her apartment on Chicago's north side. She usually brings dinner home from work...