This paper assesses the challenges of conducting community engaged learning in a small rural town under pandemic conditions. Community engaged learning (CENL) is a transformative, experiential learning activity that sees university students working closely with local non-profits, societies, or schools to address a community-identified need. COVID-19’s onset in March 2020 curtailed all interpersonal interaction between our students and partners, compelling them to work remotely—a less than ideal situation. This new mode of engagement called for a swift review of our program goals, operating policies, and instructional practices, and we responded by building greater capacity and resiliency into our courses and reprioritizing the needs of our students and partners. Now, despite two years of strict COVID-19 protocols, our program is stronger, our students are finding deeper meaning in their community engagement, and relationships with our community partners remain strong.