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  2020-07-01

  Juniper Berries Grant Volunteering at the Santa Monica College Food Pantry

  Before the pandemic, my dog, Juniper Berries Grant aka Juni, was on track to becoming a therapy dog and helping stressed out students at Santa Monica College, where I work. But we closed campus and moved all classes online, so Juni was out of a job. After the pandemic happened, I started volunteering at the Santa Monica College Food Pantry. Every Wednesday, we give produce, dairy, eggs, meat, and dry goods to our students in need. It’s all amazing and fresh, if we have extras, we donate it to local resources and staff. It has been great to see the community support students with food insecurities. Anyways, one Wednesday, Juni was able to come up and volunteer. And while students couldn’t give her pets, her cuteness put them at ease from a safe distance.
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  2020-04-01

  “I think it's probably... I guess made it stronger..."

  “I think it's probably... I guess made it stronger and sometimes it's hard to think that there is a greater purpose for all this but at the same time I think having faith has kept me grounded and it's also given me a source of community and kind of like a sense of peace during this time.”
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  2020-04-01

  “I don't think it has really."

  “I don't think it has really. To a point I’d say my faith has more affected my thoughts on covid-19.” “Sure, we're not gathering in person anymore so no church on Sunday no school none of that. We do have church on Sundays it's like live streamed to everyone. It’s sent out on Facebook so everyone is still going to mass but that's been one of the changes. Some of the nuns there are holding virtual rosary and like prayer group Zoom prayer group and stuff like that. So, they're still trying to be connected as much as we can but definitely some technical changes for sure.”
• 
  2020-04-24

  “Covid hasn't really affected my beliefs at all."

  “Covid hasn't really affected my beliefs at all. It's just kinda given me more time to spend reading the Bible and praying and stuff like that. Also, I've been putting an emphasis on caring for people and reconnecting my family using FaceTime....”
• 
  2020-04-01

  “It's really re-upped my belief in God because I know..."

  “It's really re-upped my belief in God because I know that through God we will be able to get through this and everything is going to be okay in the end.” “We're not gathering at church anymore but we're doing Zoom meetings and we are having support groups online and that's been really helpful.” “We've been doing some food drives to get food to a lot of the central workers and the elderly and also just like providing emotional and spiritual support for those in need.”