During difficult times, it’s always nice to have helping hands that lift up one another. This is
harder to do amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that the world finds itself in. Nevertheless, people
have actively reached out to people in need of help in order to lend a hand. In fact, there are
many people within the LFA community who have helped others in need over the summer and
found a way to make a positive contribution to helping out with causes related to the COVID-19.
Over the summer, I helped by sewing masks for hospitals in need. In looking for other
people who have helped and give them their deserved recognition, I reached out to LFA
community members to see who had similarly done these good deeds.

As it turns out, the community at LFA has found many ways to benefit others. Darius Duff
is a Junior at LFA who found ways to help out over the summer. “Me and my family bought
bulks of masks from one of our fellow church members to give them to family members who
have limited access to them in other states,” Duff said.

Like him, other people helped supply masks. similar to me, science teacher Mike Rogan,
said, “I sewed masks for family, friends, and coworkers,” Some other students and faculty had
done the same thing, and in that way helped out to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Some others in this community found ways to help out their own families. Kyle Koncz,
Assistant Dean of Admissions and basketball coach, said, “My brother and I organized weekly
zoom calls with our family that allowed my parents to stay connected and most importantly see
my brother’s two daughters grow during this period of time.” Koncz, among many others, found
ways to safely connect with their families and loved ones safely during this pandemic. By doing
this, friends and families get to spend more time together while apart.

While some people helped out their families, a few members of this community went even
further to personally help out other people in need during this pandemic. Anusha Srivastava, a
sophomore, said, “I didn’t do work related to COVID-19, but we did donate to a pantry looking
for help after the lack of supply due to the pandemic.”

David Yao, entering his freshman year, did something similar, stating, “I bought some
fresh fruits and dropped them off at the highway toll booth donation box for people in need.”

Other students helped provide those in need with not just food, but other needs amidst the
pandemic, such as tutoring. “I tutored a 2nd grader on Zoom during the summer. I did it
because I enjoy spending time with kids and I wanted to make a difference during this difficult
time,” said Lily Ainsley, currently in her junior year.

Many of these students and faculty members did small things all around and helped ease
the efforts to stop the pandemic. By doing this, they helped bit by bit, showing that even by
putting in minimal effort, people can still make a difference in helping out others.