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Local Walk Websites
- Barrington Area
- Chicago
- Crystal Lake
- Naperville
- Proviso
- Quad Cities
- South DuPage County
- Tri-Cities
- Walkathon West (Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park)
CWS Speak Out
Janet Young, CWS Regional Director
Janet Young is the Church World Service Regional Director for the Great Rivers region. Church World Service (CWS) is the disaster relief, self-help development and assistance-to-refugees agency for 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations – representing 50 million U.S. Christians. Working in partnership with other agencies in over 80 countries around the world, CWS provides immediate assistance and long term help to people in great need.
Young came to Illinois in 1982 from Michigan where she was the Associate Director for CWS. She founded the new “Northern Illinois” office in September of 1982 and has been working with area churches and communities ever since. In July of 2006 the region expanded to include all of Illinois and 1/3 of Missouri and the name became the “Great Rivers Region.”
During Young’s 27 year tenure with CWS she has had many opportunities to travel overseas and visit people and programs sponsored by Church World Service and their partners. Her travels include India, Korea, Philippines, Mozambique, South Africa, Colombia – and more. Her latest journey took her to Pakistan in December of 2006. “These CWS trips have taken me to the heart of our work,” says Young. “They have made me profoundly aware of how rich we are in this country and how little we really know or understand about the lives of the poor in other countries.”
Now, as a grandmother of 10, Young remains passionate about her work with CWS and about speaking out against injustice in the world. Getting people to walk in CROP Hunger Walks is just a “first step” she says. But getting people to understand our little saying, “We walk because they walk” is the real challenge.
“Once people make the connection and begin to understand some of the root causes of hunger and poverty in the world – then they become passionate about it, too. It’s what Jesus has called us to do – feed the hungry!”
Contact the CWS regional office at 1-888-297-2767 to request that Janet come speak with your group or organization.
Young came to Illinois in 1982 from Michigan where she was the Associate Director for CWS. She founded the new “Northern Illinois” office in September of 1982 and has been working with area churches and communities ever since. In July of 2006 the region expanded to include all of Illinois and 1/3 of Missouri and the name became the “Great Rivers Region.”
During Young’s 27 year tenure with CWS she has had many opportunities to travel overseas and visit people and programs sponsored by Church World Service and their partners. Her travels include India, Korea, Philippines, Mozambique, South Africa, Colombia – and more. Her latest journey took her to Pakistan in December of 2006. “These CWS trips have taken me to the heart of our work,” says Young. “They have made me profoundly aware of how rich we are in this country and how little we really know or understand about the lives of the poor in other countries.”
Now, as a grandmother of 10, Young remains passionate about her work with CWS and about speaking out against injustice in the world. Getting people to walk in CROP Hunger Walks is just a “first step” she says. But getting people to understand our little saying, “We walk because they walk” is the real challenge.
“Once people make the connection and begin to understand some of the root causes of hunger and poverty in the world – then they become passionate about it, too. It’s what Jesus has called us to do – feed the hungry!”
Contact the CWS regional office at 1-888-297-2767 to request that Janet come speak with your group or organization.