Souhegan Vally CROP Walk

It’s CROP Walk time once again. For the 18th year walkers of all ages will come together on the first Sunday afternoon in May (this year that’s Sunday, May 6) to exercise and socialize. At the same they’ll be bringing hope and new opportunities to people in need at home and thousands of miles away.

The world shrinks for CROP walkers. They’ll probably never meet families whose lives they have changed by walking, but in spirit those who are far away are as close as next-door neighbors.

Last year 298 walkers raised over $30,500. That money went to organizations that address global hunger, provide disaster/refugee relief and fund self-help development projects. Twenty-five percent was returned to our own community, to SHARE in Milford and The Open Cupboard in Wilton. The goal this year is 3-2-5: 325 walkers and $32,500.

Sponsored by the Souhegan Interfaith Council, CROP Walk draws participants and volunteers from the area’s faiths communities, and from organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Amherst & Milford LIONS Clubs, etc. Local businesses also participate by donating to the Walk Production Fund, which covers all Walkexpenses, including prizes and refreshments.

The Walk steps off from St. Patrick’s Church in Milford Sunday afternoon, May 6. Walker registration begins at 1:15 p.m., when there will be entertainment and festivities. The half-way point of the full 10K walk (6.2 miles) is the Amherst Congregational Church, where refreshments await. The Walk finishes back at St. Patrick’s Church. There are water stops along the way. A shorter Walk (1.8 miles) is available for those who find the longer one too much of a challenge.

While money could be raised simply by asking for donations, there is a special significance to walking. Rev. Richard Leavitt, Sr. Pastor of the Congregational Church of Amherst, UCC and Chairman of this year’s Walk, recently put it this way: "Walking in the CROP Walk is one way we express our concern for those
who live on the edge of survival. We walk to symbolically share their burden, to let others know that we can identify with them in their basic humanity as God’s children."

Church World Service (CWS) of Elkhart, IN www.churchworldservice.org, which created the CROP Walk, provides the structure and materials, and receives and distributes all money that is raised. Last year, CROP Walks and other community appeals generated over $31M which CWS, in conjunction with its partner agencies, put to work delivering emergency relief and assistance for sustainable development in over 80 countries, including disaster response in the U. S.

For donors who wish to have the global portion of their pledge go to an organization other than CWS, there is a list of partner agencies on the back of the Walker’s Sponsor Form. This enables CROP Walks to be interfaith and ecumenical in nature, worthy of the support of the entire community.

To obtain Walker information and Sponsor Forms, contact the SHARE office at St. Patrick Church, Milford, 673-9898. To learn more about the Souhegan Valley Interfaith CROP Walk and how you can support its goals, contact John David, Walk Coordinator, at 673-4100, or via e-mail at jgdavid@aol.com.

CROP Walkers

CWS CROP Hunger Walk
CROP HOME CWS HOME

Frequently Asked CROP WALK Questions

Q. What does CROP stand for?

When CROP began in 1947 (under the wing of Church World Service, which was founded in 1946), the name was an acronym for the Christian Rural Overseas Program; its primary mission was to help Midwest farm families to share their grain with hungry neighbors in post-World War II Europe and Asia. Reflective of a program that for several decades has been both urban and rural, CROP is no longer an acronym; it is the name given to community, interfaith hunger education and fundraising events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by 22 CWS/CROP regional offices across the U.S.

In some CWS/CROP regions, CROP has come to mean Communities Reaching Out to People.

Q. When was the first CROP WALK?

On October 17, 1969, a thousand people in Bismarck, ND, walked in the first-ever CROP WALK and raised $25,000 to help stop hunger. Several other CROP WALKS occurred soon thereafter, and before long there were hundreds of CROP WALKS each year in communities nationwide.

Q. How many CROP WALKS are there?

Each year, some 2,000 communities across the U.S. sponsor CROP WALKS.

Q. Where do CROP WALK funds go?

CROP WALKS help to support the overall ministry of Church World Service, especially the grassroots, hunger-fighting development efforts of partner agencies in more than 80 countries. CROP WALKS help to provide tools of hope that empower people to meet their own needs. From seeds and tools, to wells and water systems, to nutrition-enhancing Moringa trees, to technical training and micro-enterprise loans, the key is people working together to identify their own development priorities, their strengths and their needs -- something CWS has learned through more than 50 years of working in partnership around the world.

In addition, each local CROP WALK can choose to return up to 25 percent of the funds it raises to local hunger-fighting programs.

Q. How do CROP WALKS help out here at home?

This year CROP WALKS will share more than $3.5 million with food banks, pantries, community gardens, and other local efforts nationwide. This support is made possible when local CROP WALKS choose our unique option of returning up to 25 percent of what their CROP WALK raises to hunger-fighting programs in their own community.

Q. What else makes CROP WALKS special?

Because CROP WALKS are ecumenical, interfaith, multi-cultural events, individual donors have the option of designating their gifts to other approved international hunger-fighting agencies. This option is unique to CROP events, and available for individual sponsors only. Gifts not so designated go to support the worldwide ministry of Church World Service.

Q. How do I go about starting a CROP WALK in my community?

Call your CWS/CROP Regional Office, toll-free 1-888-CWS-CROP (that's 1-888-297-2767), to find out about the CROP WALK nearest you. If there isn't a CROP WALK in your area, your CWS/CROP Regional Office has all the expertise and free promotional materials to help you take the first steps to a successful, fulfilling CROP WALK.

Q. What is Church World Service?

Church World Service is the relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of 35 denominations that come together as the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.In partnership with indigenous organizations in more than 80 countries, CWS supports sustainable self-help development, meets emergency needs, and helps address the root causes of poverty and powerlessness.

Within the U.S., Church World Service assists communities in responding to disasters, resettles refugees, promotes fair national and international policies, provides educational resources, and offers opportunities to join a people-to-people network of local and global caring through participation in CROP WALKS, the TOOLS OF HOPE and Blankets Program, and the "Gift of the Heart" Kit Program.

Whether in CROP WALKS, through congregational or denominational giving, individual giving, grants, wills, or charitable gift annuities--people and groups who support the work of Church World Service give in a spirit of oneness with neighbors near and far.

Q. Are corporations and businesses involved in CROP WALKS?

Nationally, upwards of 100 corporations match employee gifts and/or volunteer hours to the CROP WALK. Locally, thousands of businesses and media outlets support their community's CROP WALK, providing T-shirts and other supplies, turning out teams of walkers -- and in many other ways too numerous to list.

Q. How much of each dollar contributed goes toward overhead?

Over the last five years, on average just over 17% of the funds contributed to Church World Service has gone to management, fund raising, and information sharing.

Q. Besides the CROP WALK, does Church World Service have other opportunities for mission outreach?

Yes. The TOOLS OF HOPE Program offers congregations and groups a way to share "tools" both large and small with children and families in need. The CWS Blanket Program helps make available blankets, bedding, tents and other shelter items when an emergency or natural disaster occurs. Congregations and groups also get involved through the "Gift of the Heart" Kit Program which provides recovery kits -- such as Health Kits, School Kits, Clean-up Kits, and Baby Kits -- that make a world of difference in emergency situations or areas of ongoing great need. Information on any or all of these outreach opportunities can be yours by calling toll-free 1-888-CWS-CROP (that's 1-888-297-2767).