London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Meet Cynthia, one of our Public Health by Distance Learning students based in the USA. During COVID-19, Cynthia volunteered at a local food ministry, providing thousands of home-made meals to seniors, families and the homeless.

"I had just moved to the US when the pandemic hit. Everything was shut and help was enlisted everywhere. As a medical doctor, my knee jerk action was to look for places I could offer my services at. However, it was extremely difficult for an international medical doctor to just get work in the US without being accepted into a residency program for training or have your state practicing license. 

Feeling pretty helpless that I couldn’t help in my occupational field, I looked to volunteer in other capacities and found Toni’s Kitchen. Toni’s kitchen is a food ministry that provides food for seniors, families and homeless individuals. I volunteered in packing grocery bags (produce and non-perishable) and handing them out to families. 

It was rewarding to be able to help make a difference and to see the appreciation on the faces of those collecting their bags."