Even before the trip started, we were concerned on how the Corona Virus would affect the class. We heard that all international trips were cancelled and some national trips too. But we saw no immediate threat to continue our class, so we persisted.
For the first couple of days, we went about doing everything according to plan: doing services, learning about services, and learning about each other. And then we heard the news about our school going virtual. Many of us were anxious on what we were going to do when the time comes to go back to school. And how or if we were to go back home. But we decided to still continue with the itinerary of the trip, so we persisted.
On our last day, we helped with service at Our Daily Bread. There, they gave us the warning and precaution surrounding the Corona Virus before letting us prepare and serve food to people. They knew what the stakes were, but they also persisted.
Throughout the class, I believe that all of us knew the importance of addressing food insecurity. That food insecurity isn’t a position of choice. That with the systems in place, it can also persist, no matter other circumstances. We realize that hungry people will still be hungry people with the Corona Virus in place. We realize that certain programs (like Black Church Food Security Network, Maryland Food Bank, Bread for the World, Our Daily Bread, etc.) need to keep going during this pandemic to address an issue that has been in the world longer. And we realize we must continue to address this issue even after the trip at our school and at our homes. So we persist.