A food pantry for area families that is operated by the local Connected Community Schools (CCS) organization has moved to Staley Elementary School, 620 E. Bloomfield St., instead of being at Gansevoort Elementary School.

The pantry will continue to be open every Tuesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., said CCS Executive Director Melissa Roys.

Anyone from the surrounding area is welcome to come to the food pantry, and there is no need for them to have students in the Rome school district, Roys pointed out. Also within the pantry, she said, is the CCS Community LINK (Leaders in Network Knowledge) component, “to offer any type of assistance to families, such as assistance navigating unemployment, rental assistance, care management, connecting with mental health resources and/or primary care as well (as) access insurance coverage.” She noted “there are people on site...prepared to assist families....”

CCS launched a local food pantry program in March in response to the COVID-19 situation.