Gathering to Plan for 33rd CROP Walk Season

A very big THANK YOU to all our adult and teen committee members that were able to attend our spring planning meeting for this year's CROP Hunger Walk. We were delighted to see so many loyal faces along with some new ones! The success of our hunger walk depends on the dedication and commitment of our volunteers.

Janie Schildge, our walk coordinator talked about the Church World Service response to our local disaster - Super Storm Sandy, six months ago. Recovery efforts and rebuilding are still in progress and the nearly $600,000 of the CWS appeal help. We usually talk about national and international relief efforts but this year we saw CWS come to regional area. The CEO of CWS, Rev. John McCullough visited Monmouth County in December. You can read more here. 

We are now six months out from our 33rd walk. We discussed ideas on how we can widen our circle of caring through sponsorship, recruiting efforts and our food collection which hit a record high of over 13,000 lbs. of food. The food was distributed to 20 local pantries. 

Committee members had the opportunity to hear from a few of our 17 local partners. Peg Rizzo, Volunteer Coordinator from Lunch Break talked about their long partnership with CROP Walk. Lunch Break has been in existence for 30 years almost as long as we have been walking to feed hungry neighbors. 

Co-Directors Nancy Mester and Doreen Minutella talked about how The Kitchen at St. Mark's was forced to move as a result of Super Storm Sandy. Their lunch program is now in a new location in the Community Church of Keyport and is operating as The Bayshore Lunch Program...we wish them success in their new home!

Dave Hermanson of AACC Food Pantry in the Atlantic Highlands United Methodist Church shared that good news that their pantry is the recipient of funds raised from a dinner dance provided by the owners of the  Shore Casino. The event was a "thank you" to volunteers for their wonderful  response to the victims of Super Storm Sandy. 

If you would like to help with any of our volunteer efforts for CROP Walk #33 please email us at redbankcropwalk$@gmail.com

Celebrating the Spirit of Red Bank CROP Walk

Two dozen friends of the Red Bank CROP Walk gathered for a late winter brunch hosted by George and Janie Schildge to say thanks to our top corporate sponsors and to recognize the contribution they make which gives us a foundation upon which we build a successful CROP Hunger Walk each October! Whether rain or shine or SANDY! We walk to help feed the hungry in local and global communities. The Schildges and CRP Industries lead the way for corporate sponsors each year. Pictured with George and Janie is Arlyn Covington from Covington & Associates.

We welcomed Patsy and George Scharpf from Amboy Bank. Their daughter Liz, a  CROP Walk Teen Leader a number of years ago went on to continue her interests in humanitarian work by founding SHE: Sustainable Health Interprises which works to improve access to education, good health and jobs for women in developing countries. Our CROP Walk is the only walk in the country that has a teen leadership committee. Janie Schildge, our walk coordinator, strongly believes in involving the teens and helping to prepare them for future participation in humanitarian efforts.  Our committees, recruiters, volunteers and nearly 1,000 walkers represent a multi-generational group of people working to feed the hungry! 

Richard Covington, President, and partner Tony Loviscek, Vice-President, of Covington and Associates have  had a long term interest in global connections. They are pictured here with Kim Smith, our materials chair, and her husband Dave. Kim has the job of keeping and sharing all the educational and registration materials and making them readily accessible to recruiters and walk participants!

Sponsors had an opportunity to have face to face conversations with our CROP family:  members of the adult and teen coordinating committees. Sharing the news of our annual hunger walk with sponsors helps to continue building and strengthening our connection. Before sitting down to lunch everyone participated in a fun rendition of our CROP HOP...."We can dig wells and provide new tools, help with health needs and build new schools." (Click to read the full version) 

Dave Reichard, one of our Registration chairs, and his wife Judy, also a coordinating committee member and area recruiter, shared conversation with Oliver and Karen Lewis from JP Morgan Chase who knew of CROP through a CROP Walk in Flemington, New Jersey. Our CROP Walk is the largest of nearly 200 walks in the NY/NJ Metro Region.

The gathering provides our sponsors a chance to meet Kae Kusterbeck and Teresa Citrone, our wonderful Church World Service advisors. Both travel throughout New York and New Jersey to provide support to CROP Walk leaders. Pictured with Teresa and Kae is Sara Swijter, our treasurer.

Kae shared the work being done around the world through global CWS programs to help communities to develop sustainable ways to care for their most basic needs of food, water and shelter. We participated in an interactive exercise to help understand the issues and the continuing work that needs to be done.


Pictured are Charlie and Janice Kurica, both area recruiters and members of our coordinating committee. Adult and Teen committee members work many months to put details together for our annual Sunday afternoon CROP Walk event. We all had a chance to meet and talk with several of our graduating seniors from the CROP Walk Teen Leadership Committee. 

This year's teen representatives from MAST (Marine Academy of Science and Technology)  were Jessica Cassamassima and Nicole Ventrone. Karishma Jaggernauth from Allied Health & Sciences and Sophia Gutchinov from Red Bank Regional. They shared their efforts to help CROP and told us about their future plans after graduation.  An interesting side note on MAST which is located in Sandy Hook National Park is that it was severely damaged by Super Storm Sandy. The students were moved to an empty school in Keyport, where they continue their studies. Despite ruined records and the pressure for seniors to meet college application deadlines. Guidance counselors managed to provide records to send from their cell phones. The school remains closed while recovery efforts continue.

Janis Iwanyk is pictured with Dennis Swijter. Dennis is one of our volunteer photographers who helps to document our wonderful event. Janis, our social media chair, continues to link and connect and provide wonderful ways to communicate our story of how CROP Walks help people right here at home and all over the world. We all got a look at some photos from our 2012 walk and a few videos created by the teen leadership committee. The teens used a few sponsor locations to film videos encouraging increased awareness and participation in our efforts for CROP. The videos are available on our Red Bank CROP Walk YouTube Channel. You can see photos from our walk in the photo albums in our Red Bank CROP Walk Facebook Page.

A full list of our sponsors and photo of our sponsor banner can be seen onour sponsor page. We thank all of our T Shirt Sponsors: corporate sponsors, water stop sponsors, our hunger stoppers and friends of CROP. We also thank our in-kind donors that provide goods and services to help round out the day!  

If you would like to become one of our sponsors or know a business that might be interested please contact us at redbankcropwalk@gmail.com

March 22, World Water Day 2013

As you draw a glass of  clean fresh iced water from your Britta filter today please think about the millions of people around the world who don't share that miracle with you. Church World Service programs help to bring that basic need to those in need. We all need water for survival. You can check out this link to read more about what CWS is doing with your support.