The Beauty of Relationships and Shared Values in a Storm

For people caught in the middle of a storm, the situation can be fraught with tumult, uncertainty, and anxiety. The importance of relationships and values takes on new meaning and urgency in a rocky, harrowing time. The COVID-19 pandemic has been deeply unsettling to individuals and households, but the effects are particularly hard and devastating for low-wealth and vulnerable communities. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in speaking and working for the creation of a ‘beloved community’ in the 1950s and 1960s, encouraged people to lean into relationships and the values of courage, compassion, and care to address and overcome adversity. The Mid-Atlantic Food Resilience and Access Coalition (MAFRAC) is an example of such a caring response to the current adversity facing communities in the region. MAFRAC was established as an early response to COVID-19 in an effort to keep communities fed with nutrient-dense, locally produced foods; farmers engaged in planting and harvesting; local businesses and organizations operational; and to cooperate to strengthen farm and food relationships throughout the region’s food system.