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Fall 2007 CROP Hunger Walks
Walk Enhancements
We offer regionally produced T-shirts, which are birch with black or red printing of sponsors on the back. Each shirt reflects community name, location and local sponsors and advertisers printed on the back of the shirt. The shirts will cost $4.85 for birch (gray) -this includes: printing and shipping. There is a minimum order of 24 shirts. If you are interested in the regionally produced shirt, money and sponsors need to be in the office 3 weeks before need date. There will be no orders accepted less then 3 weeks before the walk. Order early to make sure you get all the sizes you want before our supplier runs out.
T-shirt order form
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When we were walking down the road,We saw a homeless man whose bones showed.
We saw little children who looked very poor,
But we kept on walking, not looking back any more.
We saw the looks on their faces when we passed by,
But we kept on walking, heads held high.
When we started thinking how we could have stopped,
We realized, maybe we're not as good as we thought.
Church folks earn funds to fight hunger
Published: September 19, 2007 08:02:53 p.m. The Marysville Advocate
 The Rev. Jerry Zanker raised his hands in a send-off gesture Sunday as walkers started the CROP Walk.
Photo: Sharon Kessinge
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They turned out with ponchos, raincoats and hats and other protective gear. Umbrellas in all colors sprouted as the walkers waited for the send-off. It came soon enough.
The Rev. Jerry Zanker, pastor of the First Christian Church and chair of the event, which was sponsored by the local ministerial alliance, spoke briefly about the course of the walk, giving instructions for those who wanted to walk a mile and those who planned to go the longer route of 2 1/2 miles.
He said a prayer, thanking God for the day and the walkers and asking a blessing for those who suffer from hunger throughout the world. Throwing his hands into the air, he gave the walkers a rousing send-off.
A light mist was falling as the walkers headed south from the First Christian parking lot. Most of them made it to the highway before the traffic light turned red, so they surged ahead as others waited for the green light.
Before long the rainstorm that had threatened with lightning and thunder earlier but never really got started, moved on out of the area. The walkers finished their trek, some stopping off at the United Methodist Church, 15th and North, for a water break, and others taking the shorter route and circling back to First Christian, where treats of fruit, cookies and drinks were waiting.
There were 80 walkers in all, and they brought in a total of $3,182 in the effort to fight hunger. One-fourth of that amount, or $795, will be given to the Helping Hands program and the Marshall County Food Pantry, which is housed in the basement of Memorial Presbyterian Church at 10th and Center. The rest will go to the sponsoring Church World Service and will be put with funds from other community CROP Walks and sent to help fight hunger around the world through self-help development initiatives.
Pastor Zanker said Monday that the walk went well, and after the light rain stopped, the weather was nice.
“They had a good walk,” he said.
The CROP Walk committee fulfilled one of it’s goals, which was to recruit at least 50 walkers, but fell short on the second goal of raising $4,000 or more. There is still time, however, for local people to chip in and help bring the total closer to the goal.
“If anyone wants to give a contribution,” Pastor Zanker said, “they can still get it to me.”
Church World Service expects about 2,000 community walks to be carried out this year under the banner of CROP, Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty.
August marked the 60th anniversary of CROP. Tens of thousands of people in communities across the U.S. participate in the walks each year, and their purpose is to raise awareness about hunger and give people a way to help both in their own communities and around the world.
Globally, Church World Service supports a broad range of poverty fighting projects in about 80 countries. They include the digging of wells in villages in Africa and the building of cisterns in Palestine to improve local access to water; programs in several Latin American countries to help children living in extreme poverty who are vulnerable to violence and sexual exploitation; income producing programs for impoverished Roma families, in Serbia; and community development projects with poor women in rural Bangladesh.
Closer to home, Church World Service has been involved in the work to aid people in Coffeyville and Independence, where a sticky, black ring of oil clung to everything that stood in the way of late June flooding.
When midsummer rains swelled the Verdigris River, said a CWS news release, floodwaters overtook the Coffeyville Resources refinery, sending a sheen of 72,000 gallons of oil floating through a whole neighborhood.
Lower-income dwellings surrounded the refinery, and most were not able to be totally cleaned after the flood and the oil spill, creating serious health hazards for residents.
A government ban kept about 300 families from returning to their oil-ridden homes, where other threats included raw sewage, heavy metals and other contaminants, plus mold.
CWS and the United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries and other churches joined forces to provide protective suits, gloves, antiseptic hand wipes and respirators throughout Montgomery County, along with informational flyers on the dangers of working in mold-ridden spaces.
The Montgomery County project was the first in the new CWS focus of project development in emergency response.
CROP WALK held June 10
By David A. Wilson
Democrat Staff
In spite of heavy rain earlier in the day, the annual CROP WALK held at California's Proctor Park on Sunday, June 10, went off as planned in excellent weather.
The event was chaired by Abe Rohrbach, member of the sponsoring California United Church of Christ.
Nearly 75 people of all ages, plus several leashed dogs, took part in the event.
Participants were welcomed by Joyce Holley, Kansas City, assistant regional director of Church World Services. Holley talked about the improvements the funds raised by the program have made in the lives of women living in the Rift Valley in Kenya. Where they were spending six to eight hours a day obtaining about five gallons of water for their families, they now utilize a well and handmake some items for sale to others.
The Rev. Lina Eddy, Interim Pastor of First Christian Church, California, opened the event with prayer and gave the final blessing for the walkers.
Refreshments of grilled hot dogs and water and juice were available to refresh the walkers and runners.
The event raised more than $20,000.
First Bolivar CROP walk raises $5,000 to help alleviate hunger, thirst, and poverty
By Kurt Austin
Go make hunger history.
Three miles and more than $5,000 later, Bolivar certainly did. Those were the rallying words of Joyce Holley, assistant regional director for Church World Service, at Sundays first CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Hunger Walk in Bolivar. A day after an unusual April snow, 70-degree temperatures and sunshine greeted the more than 150 participants and a dozen volunteers who were at First Christian Church to take part in the events festivities, which included musical performances, a bake sale, and a silent auction.
All of these activities accompanied the 3-mile walk participants made through downtown to Dunnegan Memorial Park and back to the church. Each participant was part of a team carrying a one-gallon jug of water to symbolize the efforts necessary for individuals in Africa to obtain the necessary resource.
The awareness factor is important, participant Kay Snodgrass said. "We don't stop and think about hunger and thirst in terms of walking. For almost all of us, its an everyday convenience." Holley was both pleased and encouraged by the large turnout of community members such as Snodgrass. Many families even came with infants in strollers.
'It is awesome," Holley said as the walkers began their course. "The people that came here have a passion to make a difference in their community and the world."
Twenty-five percent of the events proceeds will go toward sponsoring the Shepherds Place Thursday night meal program. The program provides a full, hot meal once a week at First Christian Church which is open to all the community. The remaining funds go to Church World Service, established in 1946, to be used in their mission of alleviating global hunger, thirst, and poverty. The organization has about 2,000 CROP Hunger Walks each year, which raise about $18 million. There are currently 32 CROP Hunger Walks in Missouri.
Event co-coordinators Marsha Ham and Carolyn Short were both encouraged by the turnout and intend to make it an annual event. "Its a blessing just to see this come together and what were accomplishing," Ham said. "Its very close to my heart, and I'm happy to be a part of it."
"The first time is always a learning experience," Short said. "It can only continue to grow from here." Holley said an evaluation meeting will be held in May with Walk leadership to reflect on the event and to begin making considerations for next year's event.
Tips for Local Church Recruiters
Before the walk:
- Get the Walk date on your church calendar
- Put articles and/or inserts in your church newsletter (If monthly, do it a month before the walk; if weekly, do it for at least 3 weeks before the Walk)
- Put something in the bulletin each week for 3 or 4 weeks before the Walk
- Have a minute for mission each week for 3 or 4 weeks before the Walk (visit www.cropwalk.org to get samples to use)
- Wear a CROP Hunger Walk shirt to church to advertise the Walk (available for $10 from the regional office (1-888-297-2767)
- Put lots of posters up around the church (on exit doors, in each class room, by the water fountain, on bathroom doors)
- Have a table at the back of the church for people to get their Walker forms and encourage them to be there each week to sign up sponsors
- Have the pastor (or lay person) do one or two children’s sermons focusing on the purpose of the Walk
- Hand out balloons one week and stickers the next week
- Show the Walk video--fellowship time, church school classes, whenever and wherever possible
Day of the Walk:
- Commission the Walkers during worship
- Have Walkers who have collected all their money, bring you their envelope. They need to keep their top sheet to take to the Walk
- Remind the youth that "We Walk because they Walk” and all recreational wheels should be left at home (bikes, roller blades, scooters)
After the walk:
Turn in your money as soon as possible to the Walk treasurer. It is not necessary to hold the envelopes until all the money is collected. Return completed ones to the treasurer as soon as you receive them from Walkers.CROP Announcment Ideas
Week 1: Take a walk--Make a difference!
Walk away stress: Don't you deserve a break today? Get away from a stressful environment, breathe fresh air, and feel your body move. A walk is natural stress relief.
Walk away hunger: Plan now to walk, pledge, or volunteer in our community’s CROP Hunger Walk, Sunday, (insert date).
Week 2: Take a walk--Make a difference!
Walk away the blues: Walking stimulates the release of endorphins, your body's natural anti- depressant. Try making your walk a sensory experience, being mindful of what you can see, hear, smell. . . . Even a short walk will help you change perspective.
Walk away hunger: Plan now to walk, pledge, or volunteer in our community’s CROP Hunger Walk, Sunday, (insert date).
Week 3: Take a walk--Make a difference!
Walk away extra calories: Walking not only increases the number of calories your body uses. It can also help curb your appetite for food and stimulate your appetite for exercise.
Walk away hunger: Plan now to walk, pledge, or volunteer in our community’s CROP Hunger Walk, Sunday, (insert date).
Week 4: Talk a Walk--Make a difference!
Walk for mental fitness: Walking increases the blood flow to the brain. A study published in the journal Nature (July 29, 1999) found that people actually improved their thinking skills and became mentally sharper after starting a regular walking program.
Walk away hunger: Plan now to walk, pledge, or volunteer in our community’s CROP Hunger Walk, Sunday, (insert date).
Week 5: Talk a Walk--Make a difference!
Walk to enhance relationships: Walking leads naturally to conversation and a chance to get beyond small talk. A walk is a good time for friends or couples to enjoy each other's company and share each other's dreams.
Walk away hunger: Plan now to walk, pledge, or volunteer in our community’s CROP Hunger Walk, Sunday, (insert date).
Week 6: Talk a Walk--Make a difference!
Walk to connect with a child: Leave the electronic gadgets behind for some quality time. One-on-one experiences create lasting bonds and memories.
Walk away hunger: Plan now to walk, pledge, or volunteer in our community’s CROP Hunger Walk, Sunday, (insert date).
Week 7: Talk a Walk--Make a difference!
Walk to enrich your prayer life: God is the perfect walk partner--never too busy, a good listener, tolerant of long silences, understanding yet challenging--and very generous with special treats such as a full moon or a dazzling sunset.
Walk to combat hunger: This afternoon is our community’s CROP Hunger Walk. Support our Walkers--it's not too late to make a pledge
CROP Resources
Do you want to plan a CROP Hunger Walk?
- For a CROP Hunger Walk introductory packet, contact the Regional office or call toll-free, 1-888-CWS-CROP for your closest regional office.
- CROP Tshirt order form
- Visit the CROP Hunger Walk Resources page for materials to organize and promote your CROP Hunger Walk.