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.

40th CROP Walk View from your Coordinator, Janie Schildge

Our Red Bank Area Crop Hunger Walk is well known around the Two River Area, and back in 2012 when we were battered by Hurricane Sandy, Church World Service came to our aid with relief funds and materials for the New Jersey, New York area. This was an eye opener for all who had walked in past decades and knew that CWS responded to disasters, and cared for displaced people all over the world, and now right here at home in New Jersey. Nearly all the funds raised over decades by our region, came back to help us. Walkers gave never expecting to be on the receiving end.

Our CROP Hunger Walk is unique, in that we can choose to fund local hunger fighting programs in Monmouth County. Many CROP participants volunteer with these programs that are partners of CROP Walk. 

Our Walk has raised over $100,000 annually since 2000. In recession or times of natural disasters, we have had fewer funds but much more food as in 2012, and health kits and cleanup kits that filled a huge need. Now in 2020 we face a world wide pandemic that has really changed our lives. We were able to carry out our vision of fighting hunger and poverty for our 40th Anniversary!  

Due to Covid restrictions we couldn't gather at Red Bank Regional HS, walk through towns, or pile up our food collections under the tent at school for all to see. Pantry volunteers couldn't pick up bags of food to fill their shelves for hungry families. That didn't stop us from going from Plan A to Plan B, thanks to the forward thinking of Janis Iwanyk when we were making up our 2020 brochure  back in April. That Plan B went into effect as we watched the closings of many schools, few or no graduations, weddings, proms, and more.   

All meetings were held by zoom, a few work sessions were held outside with masks and distancing, and we chose not to design a new T shirt, but instead to honor our sponsors by subscribing to a full page Advertisement in The Journal, which reached out to 32,000 area subscribers. The creative writing by Lori Draz was featured in four months of The Journal. We are very grateful for the patience and interest of The Journal staff for helping us share our vision of CROP Walk during the time of Covid!   

First Baptist Church of Red Bank hosted our Park and Pick Up of materials back in September, and then Red Bank United Methodist hosted the Drive By and Drop Off on CROP Walk Sunday, October 18th where we celebrated reaching the $100,000 goal and a small group joined together for an online Facebook Live produced by Checker Liar Pictures’ own 

Eric Hackler. The three hour extravaganza was an expertly woven montage of local musical talent and Red Bank Crop Walk history in picture and story.  It is now available for viewing on our You Tube Channel. CROP Walk 2020  Thank you to all who made these events possible, as each required distancing, safety, time, talent,  and energy. Our Teen Leaders set up online teams, and sold many masks and bandanas to benefit Crop Walk, raising about $2000 and advertising our 40th year. We have bandanas available through venmo or email us at redbankcropwalk@gmail.com, and they make very useful stocking stuffers for the holidays, and doggie neckwear too! 

During the month of October individual groups planned events, walked miles for 40 years, and collected food for CROP local partners and pantries throughout Monmouth County. My husband and I chose to walk 4 miles a day at least five days a week and we have been pretty diligent in that task. Polly and Steve Chu chose to walk 40 miles and they went above and beyond. Our most famous team, Monica Fayett and her two poodles challenged themselves to go 400 miles in 10 weeks and posted on Facebook with tremendous response from the community. 

This year our CROP Walk goal was $110,000 and we had to create a new goals thermometer to show donations that are now up to $125,000 due to the generosity and compassion of so many CROP walk supporters.   

Thank you all for helping us go the extra mile for all the families hurt by the pandemic, and by the loss of jobs, and business closings.  If we look out for each other and reach out in small ways and large ways to help bridge the gaps for those who need some extra TLC, we will be ok.   

Through the use of Face book and Instagram, stories were shared, and art from past years and from 2020 were shared.  Pictures  tell a story.   We have amazing banners and posters that really express what it means to be hungry, what causes hunger and how each of us can make a difference.  

 
81 online teams registered from faith groups, schools, civic groups, and individuals. Funds were also raised off line using envelopes. Our committees offered ideas and flexibility so each group could plan its own event and do its own food collection. They selected an area pantry to collect and deliver food to.   Our 2020 participants collected about 8500 pounds of rice, beans, soup, and peanut butter, and we have widened our circle of caring to include Back Pack Crew, St. Catherine’s RCC Pantry in Holmdel, St. James Episcopal in Long Branch, and Asbury UMC in AP, along with our 15 local partners who are on the front lines all year long. 

This 40th Anniversary was unlike any others, but that didn't affect the success of this valuable community event. Thank you so very much for believing in our Plan and working with us to completion so that people can eat and feel safe and stay well because of our efforts. 

We offer our very best wishes for everyone to share a safe and healthy Thanksgiving with your immediate families. Don't forget to set up a Zoom call to share in your gathering with those not in your safe bubble. No matter the way we do it, when we care, we share the love. 

Kindness and Generosity in Action Through CROP Hunger Walk

 

Last night members of our CROP Walk Planning Committees met on Zoom to review updated results. We happily report that we've surpassed our 2020 Fundraising Goal of $110,000 and have already reached $125,000. Your donations will make a huge difference during a year of such trouble and uncertainty. Our local and global partner programs will use these funds to support urgent needs for our communities here and around the world. That's kindness and generosity in action! Thank you!

crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/

Therapy Dogs Walk to Raise Funds to End Hunger

For our 40th Aniversary Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk, we've had to do think of all kinds of different ways to raise funds during a pandemic. Monica Faett our Art Contest Chair found a way to get out of the house, exercise, spend time with her beloved therapy dogs, and raise funds for CROP Walk. 

Monica put her feet to the street to help people eat. Her dogs put their paws to the street, grass, and sand to give a helping hand.

Jackson, Tino and Monica walked 400 miles in the weeks leading up to Oct. 18 to celebrate our 40th Anniversary! Their online team is raising funds to assist families who are living with hunger. They've already raised $1,390. You can help them to meet their $2,000 goal but donating to their team. Click Here.

The CROP Hunger Walk means we can take action for someone experiencing hunger; it means someone will get enough to eat. Monica's goal is to assist as many people as she can...that's why she's fundraising for more meals in her community and for long-lasting solutions to hunger around the world like community gardens and small-scale farming.

The steps we take - and the funds we raise - will make a real impact! Monica, Jackson, and Tino THANK YOU from the bottom of their hearts and soles.

CROP Hunger Walk Supporters Step Up Fundraising

Over 70 online teams had already reached $70,000 by the beginning of the official 40th Anniversary of Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk yesterday. Our virtual celebration was a great success and lots more info and pictures will follow in the coming days this week as participants share information on small group walks and food collections. Our treasurer, Sara Swijter, is busy counting donations dropped off at the Red Bank United Methodist Church yesterday. Watch the video below to see results on our fundraising goals thermometer. Online donations added to sponsor contribuitions and off line donations reached $100,000 by the end of the day yesterday. 

CROP Walk Online Fundraising Teams Reach Higher Goals!

We've reached nearly $65,000 with online fundraising! Walk participants have enthusiastically taken to registering and setting up online teams this year due to Covid-19 ensuring that our 40th Anniversary CROP Hunger Walk is safer and easier for all of us. You can't stop CROP! The needs are greater than ever and we can make a difference.

Online, sponsor donations, and offline donations all add up to help us reach our 2020 GOAL of raising $110,000 to help programs fighting to end hunger in our communities and around the world. You can donate to one of over 70 online teams, set up your own team or make a general donation to the walk.

Donations remain open through Dec. 31st 2020

www.crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/

 

CROP Walk Celebration Sunday OCT. 18TH 2-5PM

Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk #40 is walking virtually this year. We're one week out from our Celebration Day for CROP Walk 2020, Sunday October 18th. 

Here's an update on our adventure walking during COVID 19. There are already over 75 online teams. We reached our original goal of $50,000 for online giving, and our new online goal is $60,000! Online donations are part of our overall goal. Added together with sponsor donations and off line donations, we hope to raise $110,000.  

Our many loyal sponsors every year give us a firm foundation and with added sales of CROP masks, bandanas, and gaiters, that number is over $30,000. Our overall 2020 goal is $110,000 and we can do this with your help.  

A Full page Ad celebrating all of our 2020 sponsors will appear in five editions of the The Journal NJ, coming out soon in October.   We are honoring our long time host Red Bank Regional HS as well, along with the Garden State Amateur Radio men and women who help with communication to keep us safe and the towns of Little Silver, Red Bank and Fair Haven, in our yearly efforts.

Faith groups, schools, families, and individuals are all working on small food drives for local pantries and setting goals for our 40 years.   One CROP Team has a goal of 400 miles in 10 weeks with twice daily dog walks.   I just did a walk with these two very beautiful, well behaved standard poodles in Dorbrook Park and it was a delightful adventure!  George and I have walked over 100 miles so far this month in our quest for more than double the years of CROP Walk!   

Every walker and each donation of food counts and please join us for this last week and on through October. You can register & check out teams by going to crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/ 

This video will help you learn how to set up your own online team.

 

On Sunday, Oct. 18th from 2-5 pm we will celebrate our 40 walks with a Live FACEBOOK EVENT of music, stories, and historical trivia and call ins on food collected and just to say hello.  Our friends from The WAG will head up our event, with music from some wonderful caring musicians as well. We will show all of our CROP sponsors, and have messages from our 15 local partners of CROP who have been front line workers during this year. Hear about all we have been able to do together here in Monmouth County and around our wider world through Church World Service Global. 

From 2-5 pm folks can drive by and drop off donation envelopes, buy CROP merchandise (masks, bandanas) and return yard signs to the curbside drop off at back entrance of Red Bank United Methodist Church, 247 Broad Street, Red Bank. Look for the CROP signs out front.  

 

With thanks and appreciation of your many years of support.  

Peace and Hope,

Janie Schildge, and CROP WALK Coordinating Committee and Teen Leaders 2020

Video - How to Register & Set Up an Online Team

This video will make it easy to register, set up an online team to get starting with your online fundraising for this year's 40th Anniversary Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk. People have already starting walking in smaller groups and starting food collections. Remember we usually walk the closest Sunday to World Food Day which is this Friday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCJGsY-3GmU&feature=youtu.be

Virtual 40th Red Bank CROP Hunger Walk 2020

Thank you to The Journal NJ and Lori Draz for helping us to share the story of CROP Hunger Walk and how we've changed plans this year to ensure the safety of our participants and the continued success of this valued community event. We'll walk together in smaller groups and continue to fundraise through Dec. 31st to raise funds to end hunger. Our funds support 15 local partner programs and the programs of Church World Service Global.

 

Online Teams Are Rocking It in 2020

 

We've hit $35,000 of our $50,000 online fundraising goal. Let's keep it going! Yes, it's a difficult year but we've got enough to be grateful for and enough to share! Every donation no matter the size gets us one step closer to our 2020 goal of raising $110,ooo from online and offline donations. www.crophungerwalk.org/redbanknj/