CROP Walks raise money, awareness to battle poverty
Every step they take is felt locally and heard around the world.
With every step they take in CROP Hunger Walks, participants remind the rest of us that some people in our communities are going hungry, going without, and that for many people in other countries, the going is much, much more difficult. With every step, the walkers raise money to make things a bit easier for those in need.
CROP Hunger Walks were started more than 60 years ago by Church World Service to fund the international agency's efforts to help ease worldwide poverty, aid in disaster recovery and support sustainable development. Today, walks are organized in communities throughout the suburbs, the nation and the world. In the heart of DuPage County, five walks are scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 18. Several communities already have hosted walks this fall, and more will have walks again in the spring.
Organizers expect more than 300 walkers, some with their pets, to walk Sunday in the 26th Great Prairie Trail CROP Hunger Walk in Lombard.
"We will - make a statement that people care about others. CROP stands for 'Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty,' and we walk and raise money and awareness to help do exactly that," said Dan Jares, a member of the walk organizing committee. "There is always a great spirit of excitement and enthusiasm of all these people gathering on a Sunday afternoon with a common cause of doing good for people they do not know."
As with all CROP walks, 25 percent of the money raised is donated to local agencies while 75 percent funds Church World Service programs. The local portion of the proceeds from the Great Prairie Trail walk support programs in Lombard and Villa Park.
Jares tells us more about the Great Prairie Trail CROP Hunger Walk.
Q. What is your event?
A. Great Prairie Trail CROP Hunger Walk. The names comes from the fact that most of the route of the walk is along the Great Western Trail and the Prairie Path in Lombard and Villa Park.
Q. What is your mission?
A. Our mission to be a visible presence showing to the community that there are people who care about those in need - locally, nationally and worldwide.
Of course, in addition, we are walking to raise funds so that there can be "Enough for All," this year's slogan for Church World Service.
Q. How do you work toward accomplishing that goal?
A. Walkers get pledges and donations for walking, a quarter of the funds staying local and the remainder going to CWS.
Q. Who do you serve?
A. Locally, the Addison Community Switchboard, Outreach House at First Church of Lombard UCC, two PADS sites in Lombard and Villa Park, and three food pantries: Lombard/Villa Park, Salvation Army in Oakbrook Terrace, and Disciples of Christ in Villa Park.
In addition, the national and worldwide work of Church World Service is served by the Walk. CWS is a cooperative ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief and refugee assistance in some 80 countries.
Q. When and why did the walk start? How has it grown?
A. Church World Service CROP walks began in 1948, one of the first fundraising walks.
Our walk began 26 years ago in order for the local communities to help CWS. The first local walk in 1984 raised $7,610; last year we raised $33,429.
Q. What do you wish the community at large knew about the CROP walks?
A. While many people participate in other fundraising walks and runs as a result of being motivated by knowing, for example, a survivor of an illness, we do not know the people who benefit from our efforts in the CROP Hunger Walk. In that sense, we are taking a stand in solidarity with them, walking because people around the world walk much more than most Americans.
Q. How can readers get involved?
A. People can get donations and pledges and walk with us on Oct. 18. Walkers also can use the power of the Internet to raise funds ("walk on the Web") by joining the Great Prairie Trail CROP Hunger Walk at cropwalk.org.
Vital stats
Sources of funding: Walker pledges, donations from businesses
Amount raised for other organizations: In 2008, a total of $33,429 was raised; $8,357.25 sent to four PADS sites in Lombard and Villa Park, Addison Community Switchboard, the Outreach House at First Church of Lombard UCC, three food pantries in Lombard, Oakbrook Terrace, and Villa Park; $25,071.75 sent for the national and worldwide work of Church World Service and its partner agencies
Number helped annually: Recipient agencies report helping more than 20,000 people in 2008
Wish list: Walkers and volunteers for positions such as crossing guards
To donate: cropwalk.org or churchworldservice.org
To volunteer: (630) 832-0948 or threeshrub@comcast.net
Info: (630) 629-2954