Riverdale Avenue Middle School in Brownsville opened a food pantry and parent resource center on school grounds Thursday, providing families with the extra help they need close to home.
The shelves in the pantry room are stocked with dry goods such as pasta, canned beans, spices, drinks as well as toiletries.
The pantry and resource center aims to fill critical gaps for a neighborhood where 95% of the children experience poverty and about 25% of neighbors have food insecurity, according to a release from Partnership with Children, a nonprofit that helped build the pantry.
“In a pivotal year as students struggle with chronic absenteeism, we must make school where they want to be," said Annie Cleary, the chief development officer of PWC.
Joining Cleary for the ribbon cutting included New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud, NYC Council Member Darlene Mealy, Principal Dr. Arabelle Pembroke as well as parents, teachers and students.
