Strengthening Bonds by Helping Others BELK CHAPEL AND THE QUEENS COMMUNITY SHARE HOPE DURING A PANDEMIC
Our world changed quickly in March when we moved to virtual learning. As restaurants, schools and businesses closed their doors, we found ourselves isolated and disconnected, especially those of us accustomed to a place like Queens. One of the beautiful aspects of our university is its tight-knit
community. Whether it’s brief conversations outside the coffee shop, sharing a meal together in the cafeteria, taking a walk around campus with a colleague or sitting in a rocking chair to enjoy the weather at Trexler, Queens offers space to connect with our colleagues and students — and not just in brief conversations but often in deeper, meaningful ways. Immediately following the closure of so much in Te
Queen City, I was concerned about how we would cope during quarantine. In my role, I wrestled with what chaplaincy looks like if we cannot be physically present to support our community in such challenging times. In many ways, loss of our physical connections has been one of the toughest aspects of this pandemic because as humans we are meant to be in community with one another. We are our best selves when we have opportunities for compassion, empathy, support and love to sincerely connect us with one another. Despite isolation, by the end of March, I saw glimmers of
hope and perseverance, as many organizations and nonprofits in the Charlotte area began to quickly shift their mission to serve the immediate needs of those who would be most affected by COVID-19. Te Dalai Lama once wrote, “It is under the greatest adversity
that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.” Although we could not be together physically, my hope was that by connecting Queens to the broader community, we would ground ourselves in compassion. Within just a few days of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
closing, the Migrant Assistance Project (MAP) began collaborating with ourBRIDGE for KIDS, a local nonprofit that provides
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academic, socio-emotional and cultural support for children from immigrant and refugee families. OurBRIDGE immediately shifted from its academic programs for kids to food distribution to the families whom they accompany. Queens’ faculty, staff, students and friends responded to the call, and together with MAP and other Charlotte organizations, the Queens community provided thousands of juice boxes, snacks and fresh fruit during April and May. I have heard the phrase “it takes a village” my entire life, and the collaborative spirit in which ourBRIDGE responded to COVID-19 beautifully illustrates this sentiment. Belk Chapel also stayed connected with Roof Above, which
serves lunch 365 days a year and provides many other resources to Charlotte’s homeless population. Because of restrictions, the organization had to make drastic changes to its service. Knowing that meals are such an important part of its work, Roof Above continued to provide bag lunches every day. Te Queens community prepared 100 bag lunches each week in June and July for Roof Above, and we continued this project throughout the fall semester. Although these times are difficult, I am grateful that Belk Chapel continues to provide ways to deepen our connections with each other and with those who might easily be forgotten. I know that the Queens community will persevere and not only survive this pandemic but find ways to strengthen our bonds with all of God’s children.
Rev. Joey Haynes is a 2011 graduate of Queens University of Charlotte and received his MDiv from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte. In 2018, he was ordained at Park Road Baptist Church, where he and his wife, Liza, are members.
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