Take a CROP Walk Next Sunday

Take a walk next Sunday, April 29, and help to end hunger here and worldwide.

The first East Bay/Barrington CROP Hunger Walk will draw walkers and sponsors from most of Barrington’s churches and many businesses. CROP is the acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty.

The theme of the 3-mile walk through Barrington is “Ending Hunger One Step at a Time.” It starts at 2 pm at the Barrington Presbyterian Church at 400 County Road. Rain or shine.

Dotsie Shaw of the and Helen Schall of the are coordinating the walk.

“CROP Hunger Walks are community-wide events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by local congregations or groups to raise funds to end hunger at home and around the world,” said Schall.

“CROP Hunger Walks support the overall ministry of Church World Service, especially grassroots, hunger-fighting efforts around the world,” said Shaw.

Church World Service is a 64-year-old international relief, development and refugee resettlement agency that provides food, medical care, disaster relief and self-development for people in need.

Money raised from the local walk will go to of Barrington as well as Church World Service – 25 percent to TAP-IN, which supports many people in the East Bay with food, clothing, toys and household goods, said Shaw.

You can register for the walk online by clicking here or by showing up Sunday at 1:30 pm at a registration table in front of the Presbyterian Church.

“You can make a donation of any size or none at all,” said Shaw. "The goal is to raise $10,000."

“We’re up to $4,100,” said Schall on Friday morning,

You can also support a walker or be a “spirit walker” by raising funds if you can’t walk, said Schall, who will be a “spirit walker.”

The route for the CROP Walk goes from the Presbyterian Church north on County Road to Lincoln Avenue and then west to Washington Road. It turns north on Washington Road to St. Luke’s Church, which is providing water for walkers. The route then takes Walnut Road south to Lincoln Avenue for the return loop back to the Presbyterian Church.

“We hope this is the first of many CROP Walks,” said Shaw. “We’d like to make it an annual event.”

Contact Schall at 401-245-4724 or helenschall@hotmail.com or Shaw at 401-246-0659 or dotsieshaw@fullchannel.net if you have any questions.