March brings a slight reprieve from the depths of winter, with some Spring Break escapism and buds forming on once barren trees. There’s a sunny light at the end of the dark, cold tunnel. Perhaps strange, but March has also become a sort of pandemic-iversary, marking a distinct moment two years ago when the world as we know it changed.

For my family, in March of 2020, the looming pandemic was very real and in our backyards, so we piled into the car with our kids, diapers, some food and other essentials and left the city. Although at the time, I was convinced we should be gone for maybe three weeks at the most, there was an overwhelming sense of uncertainty, worry, and fear. I never could have imagined that two years later we would be living in this ‘new normal’ as it relates to the pandemic and all that it has shifted in our daily lives and in the world, for better and for worse.

In reflecting on this time two years ago, I can’t help but feel extra empathy for the millions of Ukrainians living with this uncertainty, fear, and imminent danger as they flee their homes, unsure about if or when they will return, and worry for the safety of their children and loved ones. There is certainly no comparison to the horrors of living in an active war zone, but if the last two years have taught us anything, it is that we are all interconnected. We are all fragile as humans, but when we are called to be, we are strong and we are resilient.  

FEED has been supporting our giving partner, the UN World Food Programme, as well as World Central Kitchen, in their critical work on-the-ground in Ukraine, helping feed Ukrainian refugees at border crossings and the many Ukrainians who stayed to help defend their country. Thanks to you, we’ve collected nearly $5,000 at checkout to support World Central Kitchen. To learn more about how you can help, we have resources & updates on our Instagram.