While we can see a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, there are still plenty of people struggling to just keep food on the table. A free food distribution event in Rome is meant to help ease the burden.

The Community Coming Together Free Food Distribution is a partnership between several groups; Food Bank of CNYSt. John The Baptist Catholic Church, and Project Fibonacci. The event starts this Friday, March 12 at 2 p.m. at the Church at 210 East Dominick Street in Rome and will continue until all food is distributed. The group plans to continue the event the second Friday of each month.

The Food Bank of CNY will provide two food boxes per vehicle. Vehicles should enter the church parking lot from Bouck Street across from Ace Hardware.

Map of St John The Baptist Catholic Church in Rome
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In order to plan for future distributions food recipients will be asked for name and household information.

New York Expands COVID Vaccine Eligibility- 60 Years and Older

Oregon VA Hospital Administers COVID-19 Vaccine To Staff
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Cuomo announced that people ages 60 and older will now be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, starting on Wednesday.

Governor Andrew Cuomo visited the New York state-run COVID vaccination site at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse today.

He says 9,500 vaccinations have been done at the fairgrounds in the past 24 hours, the second highest single day performance of any vaccination site in the nation.

The previous eligibility age was 65 and up.

He says appointments will open across the state tomorrow morning at 8:00.

You can make an appointment at New York's "Am I Eligible" website or by calling the state's COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).

The governor also says all public-facing public employees and essential public workers will become eligible to receive the vaccine starting on March 17th.

The following essential workers will be eligible:

  • Public-facing government and public employees
  • Not-for-profit workers who provide public-facing services to New Yorkers in need
  • Essential in-person public-facing building service workers

"New York is marching forward expanding access to the COVID-19 vaccine, addressing underserved communities and getting shots in arms as we turn the tide in the fight against this virus,"  Cuomo said. "Supply is steadily increasing and we're opening new vaccination sites and expanding eligibility to match it. New Yorkers over 60 years old and those who serve their fellow New Yorkers in the public sector are more vulnerable to COVID-19, and we're addressing that vulnerability by providing access to the vaccine."

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