Partner Spotlight: Victory Villa
In the COVID-19 era of social distancing, some communities are actually growing closer than ever before.
For many years, the congregation at Victory Villa Community Church in Middle River has opened its doors for their neighbors, specifically those of the Latinx community, to host religious and food assistance services. While this display of togetherness and acceptance already speaks volumes to the cohesion in their community, Victory Villa has continued to serve people, strengthening their resolve during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the families that came in for help was referred by a church member who had noticed a young couple asking for help outside a local supermarket. The husband lost his construction job due to the virus, but we were able to give them enough groceries to help them get through.”
This church has been an official MFB Network Partner since January 2017, and despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19s, they’ve actually expanded their reach, stepping up to meet the increased need in their community. In their first week following the outbreak, Victory Villa distributed 22 additional bags of groceries to individuals and families from the Hispanic community.
“Our pastor was watching the news the other day and saw how hard the Hispanic community has been hit during this pandemic,” said Hayes. “At this time, with so many people out of work, what a blessing it is that we can now help them.”
With COVID-19 forcing businesses and community organizations to shut down or significantly modify their operations for the safety of their constituents, having places like Victory Villa open gives the community a sense of hope and continuity.
Their pantry had been doing a regular dinner and giving a bag of groceries to their guests every third Thursday, and then COVID-19 struck, changing everything. Thankfully, Victory Villa had soups, canned corn beef, canned chicken, several types of beans, fruit cocktails, and cereal from the Maryland Food Bank that were able bag up for anyone that contacted us for help.
During a time where hope can seem like a figment of imagination to people disproportionately affected by food insecurity and struggling to put food on the table for themselves and their loved ones, more and more Marylanders are turning to the familiar faces in their communities for help. Victory Villa Community Church is just one of our 350 Network Partners going above and beyond to continue safely distributing food to those in need helping to lift up their entire community.
