STEP UP - SPONSOR - END HUNGER - 40th CROP WALK

2020 Four Decades of Red Bank CROP Walk

                                      

Each year since 1981 a group of concerned folks has come together to plan an annual fund raising walk for our hungry neighbors.   Along the way a big food drive was added along with some caring teenagers  to work in schools and youth groups to meet the challenges of poverty and hunger.   With this strong CROP Walk foundation we have helped 15 local hunger fighting partners in Monmouth County and global partners worldwide through Church World Service Global.  

Now in 2020 we are commemorating our 40^th year of walking in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and many areas of civil strife around the world.  And we are calling on hundreds of walkers, donors, and volunteers to help CWS in its response to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster in our world as we present an alternative way to showcase art, to raise funds through online teams, and to walk, in small groups probably, with masks, as we celebrate community. 

Through your energy, your creative ideas, your time, your talent, and your donations, we keep walking together to meet the challenges of persistent hunger.  Our vision is a world where everyone has food, voice, and a safe place to call home.

51 years ago the very first community crop walk was organized in North Dakota and $25,000 was raised.   Over the years we have seen great progress in reducing hunger through better farming methods, tools, stronger seeds, education, better sanitation, and clean water. 

In 2019 our Red Bank Walk helped by raising $106,000, and collecting and distributing 17,000 pounds of food staples for local pantries.

But Hunger persists - in large part due to the millions of displaced people who have fled their homes, jobs, and security in the face of great danger.  The pandemic has put millions of people out of work, have tested our hospital systems, and thousands have died.   Along with the pandemic we have seen hurricanes, cyclones, floods, and droughts.   Wherever and whenever, Crop walkers have made possible a CWS response with caring staff, cleaning kits, hygiene kits, blankets, trainers and counselors, all with love and concern.  

This is the story of our Crop Walkers as we respond right here in our local food pantries, day care centers, housing programs, and lunch programs.   With your help and enthusiasm to meet the challenge, we will keep on walking and invite others to join in with heart and sole to help us to end hunger.  Our goal is $110,000 and 18,000 pounds of food, including peanut butter, rice, beans, and soup.

www.redbankcropwalk.com

redbankcropwalk@gmail.com

REGISTER and DONATE ONLINE

www.crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/

Art Helps Us to Tell the Story of CROP Walk

Student artists from Trinity Hall HS and Red Bank Regional HS along with Red Bank Primary School Principal Mrs. Maria Iozzi and Vice-Principal Dena Russo are pictured with some of the artwork submitted to our 2019 CROP Walk Art Contest. Student artwork brings alive the theme of the walk each year. Our 2019 walk theme was "Stepping Up to End Hunger". 

Our 39th Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk showed the long term commitment that our communities hold to end hunger in the world. For the past 20 years we have raised over $100,000 annually to help support our local and global partners working to end hunger. We raised $106,000 this year and checks have gone out to our 15 local partner programs. 25% of all funds raised stays right here in Monmouth County. For more information on our local partner programs. 

75% of the funds raised help to support the national and global responses of Church World Service Global  as they help people to recover from natural disasters, rebuild lives of dignity when dealing with food insecurity, homelessness, and extreme poverty. 

Final walk certificates have been mailed to thank our sponsors, participating faith groups, schools, and community groups. We celebrate our walk in the rain last October, and are grateful for the continued success of our CROP Hunger Walk, named #6 in the United States.

Where did winter go? Spring is just around the corner and our committees will be starting up work for our 2020 walk.

40th Anniversary Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk. 

Please mark your calendars! 

Sunday October 18th 2020

We Walk Because They Walk - We Live in Gratitude That We May Help

Our treasurer, Sara Swijter, reports that we have surpassed the $100,000 fundraising mark adding CROP Walk #39 to the streak we've created since the year 2000. Twenty years of raising over $100,000 in a row. We are truly grateful for everyone in our CROP Circle of Caring. This includes our committee members adults and teen leaders, our sponsors, our volunteers, participants from area faith groups and community organization, schools, and individuals who all believe that we can make a difference in the lives of those facing food insecurity and extreme poverty. Those we reach out to are in our own local communities and using the services of our 15 local partner programs or getting much needed food from the two dozen pantries that received food from our food collection. Many live in communities across our country, in other countries, and benefit from the work of programs through Church World Service Global.

We're getting closer everyday to matching last year's total of $104,000 and we hope with donations open through Dec. 31st that we'll beat that goal as we did our food collection goal which brought in 17,000 lbs. of food or our local pantries.

Please think of CROP this week for #GIVING TUESDAY. Just a donation of the price of one cup of coffee, or a soda will help if we all do it. Drink a glass of water instead and donate $5.00 

www.crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/

Preliminary Fundraising Reports Coming Soon

Our treasurer and her team have been working to tally and reconcile all donations made online, on the day of our 39th CROP Hunger Walk, and in the past three weeks. Online teams have surpassed previous years totals and participants have contributed over $33,000. Our current total is just under $97,000. We're so close to reaching $100,000. We've raised over $100,000 each year since 2000. So we can't stop. We can do it with your help. Please continue to collect all pledged donations and follow up with any friends that didn't get to walk because of the rain. 

Every donation no matter how small will help us to cross over the $100,000 milestone. Donations can be mailed to PO BOX 8022 Red Bank, NJ  07701 or can be made online. www.crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/

Our Walk Heroes Walked and Strolled, and Laughed at the Rain

 
CROP Walk #39 stepped up to the start line on October 20th. Yes, it rained and intensified throughout the two hour walk. Over 39 years we've only had rain twice! It didn't keep participants away from walking to raise funds to end hunger. Our youngest participant, 7 weeks old, came with her mom and dad. Her dad teaches at Rumson Country Day School and is very involved with the food collection. RCDS has supported CROP Walk for decades. Her mom has participated in CROP for over three decades! It's never too early to start believing in the good that CROP can do.

Our walk character the lion (Mia Voorhees) from Chubby Penguin Parties poses with a mom and her child from United Methodist Church of Red Bank. Our last photo is a mom volunteering at Water Stop #1 from Tinton Falls & Red Bank Rotary.

Walk donations continue to come in and willremain open through Dec. 31st. Donations can be mailed to PO BOX 8022 Red Bank, NJ 07701 or can be mailed on line www.crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/

2019 CROP Walk T-Shirts - Post Walk T-Shirt SALE

Volunteers, moms of teen leaders from St. John Vianney High School were selling T-Shirts on the day of the walk but due to rain we didn't sell out. We've decided to offer a SALE on T-Shirts

Two T-Shirts for $10.   All adult sizes.

We have:  7 M

               19 L

               30 XL   

                 6 XXL

                 1 XXXL

Larger sized shirt are great for night shirts and beach coverups! If you missed getting a shirt on Sunday and would like one please email us at redbankcropwalk@gmail.com

               

A Walk in the Rain to End Hunger in the World

39th Red Bank CROP Walk at Red Bank Regional High School Sunday Oct. 20, 2019 

Dedicated CROP Walkers lined up knowing that the drizzle might later turn into a down pour by the time they finished walking five miles together to end hunger and in solidarity with those that walk daily to meet their needs. We walked for those that walk for water, for food, for jobs, for education, to find shelter after disasters, and a safe place to call home while escaping violence and discrimination. Our CROP Walk donations help provide a hand up while giving people dignity and hope for their future. Church World Service Funds help people in our own communities in Monmouth County as well as the most vulnerable in some of the poorest communities of the world.  

Donations are coming in and we hope to soon go over the $100,000 mark. Please continue to collect your pledged donations and ask for additional donations as our fundraising remains open through Dec. 31st. 

Donations can be mailed to Red Bank CROP Walk at PO Box 8022 Red Bank, NJ 07701

Donations can be made online at 
www.crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/

As results come in we'll be sure to share. 
Photos from the walk can be viewed on:
Instagram Account RedBank_CROPWalk
Face Book Page Red Bank CROP Walk

If you have photos to share:
1. Use the hashtag #redbankcropwalk
2. Tag them with @redbankcropwalk2019
3. Email them to: redbankcropwalk@gmail.com

The tent for the food collection was a blessing!
CROP Walkers donated 17,000 lbs. of peanut butter,
rice, beans & nutritious soup for two dozen pantries!

WE WALK TODAY! RAIN OR SHINE for CROP Walk #39

Registration 1:00  Walk Start 2:00
Red Bank Regional High School
101 Ridge Rd. Little Silver

 We'll be organizing our food collection
 under a big white tent,
 just in case of a bit of rain.

How many pounds of food will you contribute

 towards our 16,000 pound food collection goal?

All food collected today will be distributed to

 two dozen Monmouth County Food Pantries. 

We thank our food collection volunteers

 for this massive effort, sorting, counting,

 and bagging for the pantries to pick up

....all in a few hours! 

Online Fundraising 2019

Online fundraising is just one way you can participate in our fundraising efforts to help end hunger. Our online teams grow each year and raised just over $30,000 last year. They're already near $25,000. Online teams will help us to reach our GOAL of raising $109,000. You can register online, donate to the walk, to an individual walker or to an online team at www.crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/
Donations of any amount count! If you ate today why not donate $8.00 or $39.00 for our 39th walk or $50 for the 50th anniversary of CROP Hunger Walks. Donating on the day of our walk, Sunday Oct. 20th is done using sponsor envelopes.