When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, faith-based groups realized they were facing a double crisis: economic devastation from the pandemic itself, and underlying changes in America's religious landscape that were already chipping away at the faith community's care for the needy. At the same time, protests following the murder of George Floyd exposed anew the many services minority communities do not receive.
Religion News Service (RNS) developed stories that highlight these crises and show ways forward for faith-based groups that serve the most vulnerable. These stories reflect solutions-oriented reporting—highlighting what is working, gaps in services, new religious and ethnic groups providing care, and innovative responses to needs.