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Spring 2008 CROP Hunger Walks
| CROP Walk | Walk Date |
|---|---|
| Amarillo | TBA |
| Austin | March 1 & 2 |
| Bellville | February 23 |
| Bertram | April 27 |
| Big Lake | April 20 |
| Canyon Lake | March 8 |
| Cedar Hill | April 5 |
| Clifton | MAy 3 |
| Cuero (Wildflower) | April 13 |
| Dallas | April 6 |
| DeSoto | March 30 |
| Elgin | February 2 |
| Granbury | April 27 |
| Grapevine/Colleyville | TBA |
| Hallettsville (Lavaca Co) | TBA |
| Greater McAllen/Edinburg | May 4 |
| Lago Vista | TBA |
| Lewisville/Flower Mound | TBA |
| Mason | TBA |
| Poth | March 2 |
| San Antonio | March 2 |
| Temple, Belton, Killeen (Bell County) | April 6 |
| Victoria | February 16 |
| West Fort Bend County (Richmond, Rosenberg, Needville | April 5 |
Fall 2007 CROP Hunger Walks
Contact the Texas office, toll-free 888-297-2767, for 2007 CROP Hunger Walk dates and contact information in one of the communities listed below.
| WALK | DATE |
|---|---|
| Bay Area (Dickinson, Friendswood, League City, Webster) | October 7 |
| Beaumont | October 21 |
| Big Spring | October 7 |
| Boerne | October 7 |
| Boundary Area (Burton) | October 7 |
| Brenham | October 7 |
| Bryan/College Station | October 14 |
| Collin County (Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Plano) | November 4 |
| Corpus Christi | November 11 |
| El Campo | November 4 |
| Fort Worth | October 21 |
| Freer | October 21 |
| Garland | November 4 |
| Georgetown | October 21 |
| Harlingen | November 11 |
| Highland Lakes (Kingsland, Granite Shoals, Llano) | November 4 |
| Hondo | October 21 |
| Houston | November 11 |
| Kerrville | October 21 |
| Lago Vista | TBA |
| Lavaca County (Hallettsville) | October 14 |
| Lockhart | October 13 |
| Mansfield | September 29 |
| Mesquite | November 4 |
| Metrocrest (Carrollton) | September 29 |
| Mid Cities (Bedford) | November 4 |
| New Braunfels | November 18 |
| Orange | November 11 |
| Pasadena | October 7 |
| Pflugerville | November 17 |
| Richardson | October 21 |
| Rockdale | October 21 |
| Round Rock | September 22 |
| San Angelo | October 7 |
| Hays County: San Marcos/Wimberley | October 7 |
| Santa Fe | October 7 |
| Seguin | November 11 |
| (North-NW Houston) Spring, The Woodlands, Tomball | October 14 |
| Waco | November 4 |
| West End (Industry) | November 11 |
Sometimes it’s personal
Elgin, Texas, CROP Hunger Walk Team Leader, Steve Cox, shared a very personal story with his organizing team before the community’s February 2, 2008 event.
“… I was a homeless person many years ago finding myself without food, shelter, etc. It was the people that fed me and gave me a smile back in those days 17 years ago, the people that treated me with dignity, love and respect; that gave me a reason to live. I think it’s wonderful that we have a number of places for people to reach out for help, a smile, and a taste of God’s love right here in Elgin. When I moved to Elgin three years ago, it was the smiles, the love and compassion that drew me to my First United Methodist Church “family.” I didn’t need shelter over my head or food to eat but I found the shelter I needed for my heart and soul – something I was starving for at the time. We never know just how much we’re giving someone when we feed them or house them with a smile of love on our face. We give them new life, new love, and a feeling of not being lost and alone in this big world.
Because of my personal experiences, it is my hope to be able to raise more CROP Walk funds than ever before to share our love and God’s love with people in need in our world – even in our little part of the world. If someone looks down and out, give them a smile. If they look hungry, let’s feed them. It they are out in the cold rain, give them your coat. Someone did that for me and you just have no way to know what that does in a person. Such an amazing gift that we can give it at all and that it’s not us, perhaps, that are the “less fortunate.”
Congratulations to Steve and everyone involved with the 2008 Elgin CROP Hunger Walk. The 2008 event raised $3,251 –$1,465 more than in 2007 – and 82% increase!
“… I was a homeless person many years ago finding myself without food, shelter, etc. It was the people that fed me and gave me a smile back in those days 17 years ago, the people that treated me with dignity, love and respect; that gave me a reason to live. I think it’s wonderful that we have a number of places for people to reach out for help, a smile, and a taste of God’s love right here in Elgin. When I moved to Elgin three years ago, it was the smiles, the love and compassion that drew me to my First United Methodist Church “family.” I didn’t need shelter over my head or food to eat but I found the shelter I needed for my heart and soul – something I was starving for at the time. We never know just how much we’re giving someone when we feed them or house them with a smile of love on our face. We give them new life, new love, and a feeling of not being lost and alone in this big world.
Because of my personal experiences, it is my hope to be able to raise more CROP Walk funds than ever before to share our love and God’s love with people in need in our world – even in our little part of the world. If someone looks down and out, give them a smile. If they look hungry, let’s feed them. It they are out in the cold rain, give them your coat. Someone did that for me and you just have no way to know what that does in a person. Such an amazing gift that we can give it at all and that it’s not us, perhaps, that are the “less fortunate.”
Congratulations to Steve and everyone involved with the 2008 Elgin CROP Hunger Walk. The 2008 event raised $3,251 –$1,465 more than in 2007 – and 82% increase!
Peace Bubble Visits Austin CROP Hunger Walk
Jerry Leggett and the Peace Bubble came to Austin, Texas, and wowed some 1,600 CROP Hunger Walk participants with music and more on March 3 and 4, 2007.
Jerry came to Austin as part of his year-long tour in the Peace Bubble--a stylized Volkswagon Beetle. He invited Austinites into the Peace Bubble to answer two simple questions: "Is peace possible?" and "What do you think makes for a peaceful world?" The Peace Bubble interviews are posted on YouTube.
Jerry came to Austin as part of his year-long tour in the Peace Bubble--a stylized Volkswagon Beetle. He invited Austinites into the Peace Bubble to answer two simple questions: "Is peace possible?" and "What do you think makes for a peaceful world?" The Peace Bubble interviews are posted on YouTube.
What makes CROP unique? I'm glad you asked!
1. CROP is Diverse . . . 35 communions/denominations work together in the U.S. to form partnerships with more than 400 groups and/or ecumenical church bodies in some 80 countries, including the U.S. CROP Hunger Walkers come from more than six faith traditions. That is diversity!
2. CROP Cooperates . . . Church World Service allows Walk sponsors the choice of designating their gifts to a host of international voluntary agencies. Recognizing we are all in this together, CROP lets us walk together to work together.
3. CROP Advocates Local Solutions to Local Problems . . . The partners around the world develop, propose, and implement their own projects through consultation with CWS. CWS knows that projects and programs must come from the people themselves, not be imposed by others.
4. CROP Has Experience . . . 60 years of experience grace this effort. Originally formed in response to the needs of a Europe devastated by World War II, Church World Service has grown into an organization with global impact.
5. CROP Promotes Motivation . . . CROP materials focus on the need for action as opposed to the results of inaction. CROP brings you people meeting the tough challenges of everyday life, solving their problems and gaining respect.
6. CROP Gives Locally . . . 25 percent of the money raised by a CROP Hunger Walk returns directly to the community to work in local hunger efforts. Last year, some $4 million was shared with local hunger-fighting initiatives -- pantries, food banks, and community gardens across the U.S.!
7. CROP Keeps Overhead Low and Accountability High . . . On average, just over 17.2 percent of contributed funds for the past three years has gone to management, fund raising and information sharing.
8. CROP Hunger Walks: “We walk because they walk” – in solidarity, in unity, to make a difference. Last year, CROP Walkers, volunteers, and sponsors in some 2,000 U.S. communities raised nearly $16 million to feed the hungry, protect children, assist uprooted people, and help families and communities around the world to help themselves.
CROP – Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty
Let's Unite to Feed the Hungry
By Dr. Larry Bethune, pastor of University Baptist Church, 2130 Guadalupe St. He is a member of the Austin Area Interreligious Ministries. For more information about Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, go to www.aaimaustin.org.
Preaching Professor Fred Craddock tells the story of a young woman asked to give a devotional thought before one of his lectures. Her whole message was a single sentence, which she repeated in about 70 different languages, until she finally spoke it in the English her audience could understand: "Mommy, I'm hungry!"
It's a cry heard around the world; also here in Austin.
At first there were five. Then, 35. Then, we began seeing more women and children, even babies. Now, more than 200 hungry persons come to our church building on Thursday evenings to get a free meal and some staples from our food pantry. They also come to get humanizing conversation and share a moment of prayer. At first, some of our people said, "Send them away. These people add nothing to the church. They are the same ones who draw graffiti and vandalize the property." But others said, "What are we supposed to do? Why has God sent these hungry people to us?" And we remembered the unqualified words of Jesus: "I was hungry, and you fed me."
Actually, the meal isn't free. The church pays for it, without any help from the government because we believe the government has no business using your taxes for a ministry where our prayers are prayed.
We are an urban church.This ministry is a challenge for our church in cost and time. Of course, churches (and other religious communities, too) are supposed feed the hungry and assist the indigent. We ask no praise for doing what is right. But religion is also supposed to be prophetic, calling the whole society to care for those in need, to remind everyone that the real mark of greatness for any nation is not its gross national product or military might, but how it cares for "the least of these."
Every sector should do its share. Each church, synagogue and mosque, certainly. But also, business should return some of its benefits through charity to the society that enables its profits. Education should encourage its students to learn compassionate ways of sharing. Government also must help, not by passing the buck to the congregations of faith, but by developing a sound social policy to help those who cannot help themselves invest in their future in sensible ways.
How are we doing as a people? I don't know. I have heard it said,"Texans help Texans," but do we? Texas consistently ranks among the stingiest states in assisting the mentally ill and their families, the children of the indigent and their families, the homeless, even the working poor. The number of hungry in our midst, in our own city, is growing.
On the other hand, some people seem eager to help those in need. Members of Hope Presbyterian Church join us as volunteers on Thursdays because they also hear the voice of Christ: "I was hungry and you fed me." Our Jewish friends from Congregation Agudas Achim and Congregation Beth Israel help us for what they call tikkun olam ("repairing the world"). Employees of Waveset Technologies take their turn serving the poor as payback to the community that supports their business. We could not sustain this ministry without these volunteers. Because other congregations in the University of Texas neighborhood are laboring in different projects to give a hand up to those in need, we are moving toward a new coalition to unite and strengthen our efforts.
Here is reason to hope: This compassionate partnership of Christian and Jew, of religion and business, of individuals and communities shows us what is possible and that there are some big hearts in Texas.
And our program is just one of dozens in Austin where generosity in donations and volunteer time offers nourishment of body and soul to needy members of our community.
But the number of the needy keeps growing. Said the Brazilian Archbishop Don Helder Camara: "When we fed the hungry, they called us heroes. When we asked, 'Why are there so many hungry?,' they called us communists."
"Mommy, I'm hungry." Let's do what we can to help.
Preaching Professor Fred Craddock tells the story of a young woman asked to give a devotional thought before one of his lectures. Her whole message was a single sentence, which she repeated in about 70 different languages, until she finally spoke it in the English her audience could understand: "Mommy, I'm hungry!"
It's a cry heard around the world; also here in Austin.
At first there were five. Then, 35. Then, we began seeing more women and children, even babies. Now, more than 200 hungry persons come to our church building on Thursday evenings to get a free meal and some staples from our food pantry. They also come to get humanizing conversation and share a moment of prayer. At first, some of our people said, "Send them away. These people add nothing to the church. They are the same ones who draw graffiti and vandalize the property." But others said, "What are we supposed to do? Why has God sent these hungry people to us?" And we remembered the unqualified words of Jesus: "I was hungry, and you fed me."
Actually, the meal isn't free. The church pays for it, without any help from the government because we believe the government has no business using your taxes for a ministry where our prayers are prayed.
We are an urban church.This ministry is a challenge for our church in cost and time. Of course, churches (and other religious communities, too) are supposed feed the hungry and assist the indigent. We ask no praise for doing what is right. But religion is also supposed to be prophetic, calling the whole society to care for those in need, to remind everyone that the real mark of greatness for any nation is not its gross national product or military might, but how it cares for "the least of these."
Every sector should do its share. Each church, synagogue and mosque, certainly. But also, business should return some of its benefits through charity to the society that enables its profits. Education should encourage its students to learn compassionate ways of sharing. Government also must help, not by passing the buck to the congregations of faith, but by developing a sound social policy to help those who cannot help themselves invest in their future in sensible ways.
How are we doing as a people? I don't know. I have heard it said,"Texans help Texans," but do we? Texas consistently ranks among the stingiest states in assisting the mentally ill and their families, the children of the indigent and their families, the homeless, even the working poor. The number of hungry in our midst, in our own city, is growing.
On the other hand, some people seem eager to help those in need. Members of Hope Presbyterian Church join us as volunteers on Thursdays because they also hear the voice of Christ: "I was hungry and you fed me." Our Jewish friends from Congregation Agudas Achim and Congregation Beth Israel help us for what they call tikkun olam ("repairing the world"). Employees of Waveset Technologies take their turn serving the poor as payback to the community that supports their business. We could not sustain this ministry without these volunteers. Because other congregations in the University of Texas neighborhood are laboring in different projects to give a hand up to those in need, we are moving toward a new coalition to unite and strengthen our efforts.
Here is reason to hope: This compassionate partnership of Christian and Jew, of religion and business, of individuals and communities shows us what is possible and that there are some big hearts in Texas.
And our program is just one of dozens in Austin where generosity in donations and volunteer time offers nourishment of body and soul to needy members of our community.
But the number of the needy keeps growing. Said the Brazilian Archbishop Don Helder Camara: "When we fed the hungry, they called us heroes. When we asked, 'Why are there so many hungry?,' they called us communists."
"Mommy, I'm hungry." Let's do what we can to help.
Riding to Walk
Nothing can stop The Rev. John Schelter, Pastor of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, from his appointed CROP Hunger Walk rounds – not even foot surgery. The long-time Mesquite CROP Hunger Walk Team Leader rode into town – or at least to the CROP Hunger Walk– on Missy Tiger. Where there’s a will – and 4 strong feet – there’s a way!
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.
- Visit the CROP Hunger Walk Resources page for materials to organize and promote your CROP Hunger Walk.