Virgilio Marin-Valderrabano

Honestly, during the COVID-19 outbreak, it was quite stressful to know that families were losing their babies or elderly loved ones because the virus had infiltrated their homes; sadly, many families were afraid even to go out to buy groceries. Since I was living alone at the time, every weekend I personally delivered a box of basic subsistence foods—donated by the church located across from the school—to about 25 families. I felt a great sense of relief knowing that I was making a contribution and that those families did not have to live with the fear of losing a loved one whose health might be fragile. They were terrifying times, but also deeply moving moments, as I witnessed the families' happiness when they received their food boxes. At one point, I got COVID-19 while living by myself, so one of my friends gave me a huge box of food for 4 people for 1 week. That time, I gained a lot of weight, even though I didn't eat for one week; it took me almost 6 months to finish it all.