OCTOBER 4
Emmanuel will again be the starting and ending point for
our annual CROP Walk on October 4. Registration will
be at 12:30 pm with the walk starting at 1:00 pm. The
funds raised will be sent to Church World Service.
Thirty-seven denominations and Christian sects partner
with CWS to provide hunger and disaster relief. Last
year, our joint Vacation Bible School with Faith and
Stairville UMC collected school supplies for CWS
School Kits. We have also collected Clean-up Bucket
Kits in the past for several disasters. CROP Hunger
Walks are “viewed by many as the granddaddy of charity
walks,” notes the Los Angeles Times (Oct. 26, 2009).
On October 17, 1969, a thousand people in Bismarck,
ND, walked in what may have been the start of the
hunger walks related to CROP – and raised $25,000 to
help stop hunger. As far as we know, York County,
Penn., was the first walk officially called the CROP
Walk for the Hungry – and that event has been
continuous since 1970. Several other CROP Hunger
Walks occurred soon thereafter, and before long there
were hundreds of Walks each year in communities
nationwide. CROP Hunger Walks help to support the
overall ministry of Church World Service, especially
grassroots, hunger-fighting development efforts around
the world. In addition, each local CROP Hunger Walk
can choose to return up to 25 percent of the funds it
raises to hunger-fighting programs in its own community.
This year CROP Hunger Walks will share almost $3.5
million with food banks, pantries, community gardens
and other local efforts across the U.S., thanks to generous
donations of families, friends, church members and
businesses to those who participate in walks. We have
designated the Wapwallopen Ministerium Food Bank to
receive these funds. Youth and adults from our churches
will be looking for sponsors. Please support their
enthusiastic and dedicated effort to provide hunger relief
by donating to the CROP Walk.
CROP WALK REFRESHMENTS
Anyone who is willing to bring some baked goods or
other refreshments for the walkers is asked to please
leave them on the counter in the Fellowship Hall on Oct
4. Your help is needed to “energize” the walkers before
and “recharge” them after their walk.