Liberty sends relief team to Baltimore

In the wake of turmoil in Baltimore, a team of nine Liberty University students, staff, and alumni spent Sunday and Monday helping a local church provide aid to the community. With some grocery stores shut down, many people were in need of food and water, which Liberty helped distribute throughout the area.

The trip was organized by Liberty’s Center for Ministry Training (CMT) and Center for Multicultural Enrichment (Center4ME).

“It was a blessing to help people in such a practical way, by providing food and water,” said Center4ME Director Melany Pearl.

Though the Spring 2015 semester was wrapping up, and Commencement only days away, Liberty responded to a plea for help from Ellis Prince (’98), a Liberty alumnus and lead pastor/founder of Gallery Church Baltimore, which the university works closely with each year during CMT Ministry Exposure Trips.

After learning more about the dynamics of the situation and becoming acclimated to the community, Liberty’s team helped load, transport, and unload food and water at distribution centers throughout the area, many of which were local churches. Two more Liberty students, who are from the area, showed up to help with the distribution.

“This trip moved me out of my comfort zone mentally, physically, and spiritually,” said Wezi Ndhlovu, who is pursuing a Master of Divinity through Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary. “The idea of putting my faith to the test in a real-world scenario produced feelings of fear and anxiety, but at the same time excitement and fulfillment.”

This aid project was a joint effort by people from many backgrounds. Liberty’s group sought to show the love of Christ and shine the light of the Gospel to people in distress.

“It was really neat to see people come together as a community and work for something they care about,” said Sarah Hobson, a graduate student in the clinical mental health counseling (M.A.) program. “It is really not about where you come from or who you are or what you believe in. It was a good opportunity to be a light and a testimony. This was an outpouring of love, giving the community a better perspective of what the church really is.”