ART was in the AIR for 41st CROP Walk

During this year's 41st Crop Walk on Sunday Oct. 17 there was FALL in the air and quite literally ART was fluttering in the air as it was a beautiful blustery day at Red Bank Regional High School!

We were so fortunate to have beautiful banners and posters submitted from various schools in the area. We decorated Red Bank Regional High School’s exterior walls and windows to create a visual story of our theme “High 5 to End Hunger “, as we march into our fifth decade combating hunger locally, and around the world.

Students could choose any of five areas of concern for their project: hunger, housing, clean water, climate change, and refugees and immigrants.

First Place Trophy Banner winners included: Red Bank Primary School, Rumson Country Day School, (Middle School) and Red Bank Regional High School.

First Place Trophy Poster winners included: Oak Hill Academy, (Primary) whose entries focused on the environment, Oak Hill Academy, (Middle School) and Trinity High School.

Trinity Hall’s Theology classes, under the direction of Melissa Whelan, showered us with over 50 posters, one for each student. We were truly overwhelmed!

There are many teachers to thank, Rachel de Bari, Red Bank Primary School, Emily Lenz, Oak Hill Academy, and Claudia O’Connor, Red Bank Regional High School among others. Special shout out to United Methodist Church of Red Bank for their entry as well.

This will be my last year working with Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk, as my husband and I will be relocating to Houston, Texas. Will take with us happy memories of the many friends we’ve made and plan to continue the fight to end hunger in our new community.

Monica Faett

Chair, Art Contest

Holiday Gift Buying Made Easy

Looking for useful holiday gifts? Want to support the Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk? Teens from schools throughout central Monmouth County customized tote bags, cinch bags, baseball caps, wine bags, mugs, and aprons to support our 41st walk. 

Aprons and baseball caps are $10 each, and all other items are $5 each. If you are interested in purchasing any of these items, please email us at redbankcropwalk@gmail.com.

41st Walk Starts a 5th Decade of Walking to END HUNGER

 

Oct. 17th dawned bright and sunny, with a strong breeze blowing across the front lawn of Red Bank Regional High School where banners were hung up to announce our 41st Red Bank Crop Hunger Walk Day! 

As volunteers began arriving, a tent stood ready to receive unknown quantities of food staples. This was the start of our 5th decade of walking and raising funds and food to help end hunger right here in Monmouth County and through partners across the US and in many countries that assist those in need of a helping hand. Red Bank Crop Walk makes much of the work of Church World Service possible.  

This year after Covid 19 shut down most schools, businesses, and activities around our area for so long, folks were ready to come out and see each other face to face, with masks on, and there were a lot of smiling faces and greetings as the crowd built up.

First to arrive of the large food collections was a huge truck with Rumson Country Day staff and one bright eyed 7th grader named Grady, started to unload.  Food just kept coming off the truck, more than a ton of rice, beans, peanut butter, and soup. A bit later another 1700 plus pounds arrived from Oak Hill Academy.The team of 21 students from Christian Brothers Academy got to work. CBA has been part of CROP Walk since 1984 and RCDS since 1986. Oak Hill joined in the early 1990’s and all have been loyal supporters of this ministry all through the decades.  Our 15 Crop partner programs and a number of local pantries benefit from this huge drive, and it is a scene to behold! 15,000 lbs. 

Across the lawn on clotheslines and windows of the school’s new addition, some wonderful art began to appear.  From tiny posters drawn by 1st graders at OHA to large mural banners from RB Regional and RCDS and a very large number of Trinity Hall artworks were added to the scene. These depict different aspects of hunger as this year’s theme is High Five for 5 Decades!

At this early point about $68,000 has come in online to add to the funds provided by our loyal sponsors each year, and envelopes that are used by all ages to raise money. Online, sponsor donations and day of walk envelopes total $117,000 so far. 

You can also contact us to purchase CROP Gear, including caps, aprons, wine bags, backpacks, travel zips, and grocery totes. Remember the holidays are coming and these make charming and useful gifts ($5-$10).  Linda Ensor, Teen Advisor for CROP Walk this year, had students producing these at Shore Regional High School with CRICUT technology, and they all learned a new skill. Teen leaders came from 15 high schools around this area for Walk #41.  

The WAG band started playing with us during our fourth decade, and they donate their skills through Musicians on a Mission, so check out their website and program event calendar for music venues. On Sunday the Rev. Janet Jones of AME Zion Church in Red Bank, gave a rousing reason and purpose for walking to end hunger and reaching out to those in need. Then all the participants headed down to do the victory lap, and our sign man, Dave Hermanson, cut the tape and they were off. 

Red Bank Reg Key Club and National Honor Society cheered the walkers passing by with signs and good spirits.While individuals, church, school, and community groups did smaller walks during the week before; they all joined together for a celebration lap around the grounds of Red Bank Regional Hgh School. Back for ice cream and Italian ice, and apples, donated by Ritas of Eatontown, Super Foodtown of Red Bank, Sickles Market, and Delicious Orchards. 

Thanks to all who participated this year. 

It is not too late to contribute as our year ends in late December. You can still donate to this year's walk.

crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/ 

Janie Schildge, 2021 Coordinator

We're Ready to Step Out for CROP Walk #41

We're counting down to our 41st Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk at Red Bank Regional High School on Sunday Oct. 17th

Please gather together for your small group walks at one of our local parks or your even in neighborhood during these next two weeks. We hope to see you come to RBR with friends and family and remember to bring 4 foods that help End Hunger: Rice, Beans, Soup, and Peanut Butter!

 

Hours are 1:00-3:00 pm or as long as it takes for the boys from Christian Brothers Academy and staff to count, sort, and package our food donations.   

Reverend Janet Jones of AME Zion Church will send off the CROP Walkers on a Victory Lap around the school, and then we will continue our program by recognizing Long Timer Supporters in our CROP Family – so get out your date books and remember what decade you started to walk or ride in a wagon or stroller for CROP Walks. Be ready to “shout out” that decade and also sign our banner of four decades plus one.  

You can also check out our returning Art Contest which already has its first submissions from Oak Hill Academy.  

Some Protocols will keep us all well and safe as Covid is still with us: 

1) Please wear a mask 2) socially distance 3) register online as a walker or with a donation to a team so you are covered by CWS insurance - option is to sign in with name, address, email, and name of group you are walking with for any post walk contact tracing.   

We can gather safely in community if we think about our own health, and others around us.   

Thank you for caring for hungry neighbors right here at home and in places where natural and man-made disasters have occurred, as that is where you will find Church World Service. Our Walk is the community hunger appeal of CWS, in the top 3 walks in the nation, and we are starting our 5th decade of walking. High Five for five decades. 

Remember that our host school Red Bank Regional, welcomes all of us, but please leave your family dog at home.   It is a school policy – No Dogs on School Grounds, so thanks for respecting that.

Red Bank Regional Key Club and National Honor Society Teens will be working the Photo OP so gather your group (wherever two or three are gathered together) and get your keepsake photo, which will be up on our website gallery following the walk. There will be strolling photographers, so get ready to pose for candid cameras!   

CHECK IN begins at 1 pm.  Food Tent will be up and ready for those mountains of food.   Notes from about town: Temple Shalom-Aberdeen-as already completed its food drive; Trinity Hall starts today, according to Haley Nelson. 

Oak Hill Academy has its CROP Assemblies (two take place to space out students) this Thursday, and Rumson Country Day School is revved up and booking a truck for the huge haul – tight competition between RCDS and OHA from last year.   

Our Goal is $141,000 for forty one years, and 18,000 pounds of food. So see you soon, and together we can make this happen, and we will feel really good.

Update from our Walk Coordinator Janie Schildge

The 2021 CROP WALK SEASON got off to a rousing start in bright sunshine on Sept. 13th with a 4 hour park and pick up rally at the First Baptist Church in Red Bank. Luckily we had everything cleaned up and packed, including the tents, before the rain and wind arrived. (Our tired, hot volunteers were treated to Rita's Italian Ice, by TJ Eyerman, an RBR Teen Leader, and we were all very grateful)  Our CROP GEAR, personalized by the Teen Leaders in work sessions this summer, nearly sold out.  Lawn signs, sponsor envelopes and walk materials were available for pick up for team captains. 

On Sunday on October 17th we plan a joyous celebration of walking to end hunger for over four decades. We’ll be meeting at Red Bank Regional High School at 1:00 where we’ll have the big tent for our massive food collection, the annual art contest, photo ops, CROP gear sales, and music from The WAG. 

Walk participants will check in at 1:00 to enjoy registration activities and our victory lap around the school grounds will start at 2:00. 

Afterwards we will continue to enjoy music, refreshments (apples, ice cream and Italian ice, courtesy of Delicious Orchards, Sickles Market, Super Foodtown of Red Bank, and this years, Rita’s of Eatontown!  We’re trying to raise $141,000 to help alleviate hunger. Come for the caring and stay for the fellowship with everyone in our CROP Walk Family!

CROP Walk participants will be walking during the next few weeks on their own, with friends in small groups, others with family and neighborhood groups, as well as faith groups, school groups etc. They’ll walk 4.1 miles anywhere safe and convenient for them, in their neighborhoods, around their church and local parks. We hope to see them wearing any CROP Walk tee shirt from the past year walks.

As we’re less than 4 weeks from this year’s 41st Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk. It’s time to step up our efforts. Your commitment to fighting hunger has been our avenue to success for four decades. We have raised over $100,000 annually since the year 2000. We’ve been raising money for 15 local hunger fighting programs where 25% of all donations are distributed to these local partner programs right here in our local communities. 75% of the funds raised goes to Church World Service Global to support their programs which have had a mission to fight hunger and poverty in USA and other parts of the world for over 75 years. Yes, over seven decades!

In addition to the important financial goals, our local CROP Walk collects food (rice, beans, peanut butter, soup) for 25 local food pantries. Many of our team leaders organize food drives in their schools, places of worship, organizations and neighborhoods. This food can be delivered to Red Bank Regional High School on October 17 for same day distribution to our community.  We hope to collect 18,000 lbs. of food for the boys from CBA to sort, count, and bag for distributions to our local pantries. If you can’t come on the 17th, please advise us of poundage you collected and drop off at one of our local partner programs. Food donations may be dropped off after 12:30. 

Plan on being there and bring friends, and family. It’s uplifting and you’ll feel good! Thank you.

SCENES FROM SEPTEMBER 13 RALLY - SEE WHAT THE CROP HUNGER WALK TEAM HAS BEEN UP TO THIS SUMMER!

PARK & PICK UP RALLY SEPT. 13TH

Save the date! Please plan to drive by our PARK & PICK UP RALLY where you'll be able to pick up at the sponsor envelopes, signs, and other walk materials. Volunteers will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about this year's 41st Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk

Monday September 13th 3:00-7:00pm

First Baptist Church in Red Bank

84 Maple Ave. Red Bank, NJ 07701.  

84 Maple Avenue

Plans Grow for 41st Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk

Our coordinating committee met June 24th and discussed options for this year’s 41st annual community event. While we miss the large sea of walkers at the start line and moving through 3 towns, the beginning of our 5th decade of walking to end hunger will continue to be a hybrid. We are going to yield to caution because we care about the health and safety of our communities, and will again encourgage mostly online teams for fundraising.Individuals and groups will be doing their walk challenges from now through the month of October, and will also be setting up food drives to meet the needs of our local partners and pantry programs. 

 

Our rally will be at the First Baptist Church – a Park and Pick Up 3-6 pm on Monday, September 13th  under a tent. Last year's Park and Pick Up was a very uplifting experience as everyone embraced the necessary changes to protect each other and our communities during the pandemic.

We are asking all faith groups and schools to set up an online team. Last year's online efforts were so well embraced by supporting participants that we completely surpassed our 2020 goals.

Teen leaders are working on ways to use new CROP Walk merchandise to share the story of our CROP Hunger Walk and it's mission to respond to the needs of those facing extreme hunger.

Our teen leaders will also be contacting our 15 local partners to get acquainted with how they got through Covid and how they adapted to the massive challenge and increased needs of our communty. They will be creating short videos to share on our website and our social media. Teens will also review the ongoing efforts of Church World Service Global to respond to urgent needs here in the US and throughout the world.   

On Sunday, October 17th we will celebrate Crop Walk 2021  at our host school Red Bank Regional High School and enjoy art, music, ice cream and apples, and a festive display of our community efforts.  

41st Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk Sets Goals for 2021

Five months from now, hundreds of folks of all ages will help hungry neighbors by participating in the 41st Red Bank Crop Hunger Walk, a community hunger appeal of Church World Service Global. As we begin our fifth decade, our annual event continues to support 15 local hunger fighting partners here in Monmouth County, as well as global relief efforts through CWS.

Throughout the pandemic, Church World Service (CWS) provided hygiene kits, school kits, and blankets through food pantries and community centers to those coming for food and help. CWS programs work with those displaced, and the agency hosts projects to improve lives with clean water access, better basic sanitation, education, and skill training for more sustainable lives.

Due to Covid-19, our 2020 Red Bank Crop Walk was a virtual event. This didn’t dim the enthusiasm of participation for participants celebrating our walk's 40th year.  We raised our second highest total of funds in our walk's history: $138,000!

We hope to be able to gather on October 17, 2021, at Red Bank Regional High School, but at this date, we are still working within the guidelines established for the pandemic response. 

Individuals and teams from churches, organizations and schools are working on plans to help CROP Hunger Walk reach our 2021 goal of $141,000 or MORE. There are many ways to support our walk: forming an online team, walking, donating to a walker, and/or organizing a food drive during the month of October. You can drop off or arrange pick up for food staple items:  rice, beans, peanut butter and soup, for one of the 15 partner charities or a Monmouth County pantry of your choice.  Stay tuned for more information as decisions are made.  

Walk Coordinator Janie Schildge said, “Even though we missed coming together as a group last year, we were just amazed at how creatively people stepped up to make a difference. They came together in community with high counts of food and funds. You can still view our 3 hour virtual walk celebration with music and commentary on You Tube. Thank you to many local bands and produce/host Eric Hackler.  Look for Teen Leader planned projects to personalize some new and useful items to raise funds for the effort.

Of all funds donated to the Red Bank Crop Walk, 25% is shared with our local partner programs: The Center in Asbury Park, Lunch Break, HABcore, Monmouth Day Care Center, Calico Food Pantry, Matawan Community Pantry, Matawan UMC Pantry, Keyport Ministerium Pantry, AACC Emergency pantry, ASLAN Youth Ministries, Bayshore Lunch Program, Horizons, Meal at Noon in Long Branch, Family Promise, and NEW this year is The Back Pack Crew. The other 75% is distributed through Church World Service to national and global partner programs and disaster relief. 

Our CROP Walkers and Sponsors make this possible. Join us as we enter this 5th decade of responding to the needs of those facing hunger. You can learn more on our website and by following us on Facebook and Instagram. #redbankcropwalk2021  

CLICK the LINK below to REGISTER crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/

2020 Our 2nd Highest Amount Raised in 40 Years to Help End Hunger

CROP WALK UPDATE: We start the new year with some very good news! Donations have continue to come in for our 40th anniversary CROP Hunger Walk and we've hit a record amount of donations as our supporters embraced online giving and stepped up to meet the challenges of ending local and global poverty during a year of a global pandemic and much turmoil and political unrest. We thank all our sponsors, participants, and volunteers!

Church World Service has updated the online giving platform to make things easier as we move forward in our work to end hunger. If you would like to view the webinar please click here to take a tour of the new fundraising platform.

Our Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk online fundraising page.

You can also look on the general online giving page for CROP Hunger Walks for informational resources.