Social Networking - We Grow One Click at a Time

In 2010, we added social networking as a new way to communicate the mission of CROP - to feed the hungry. I was recently invited to attend a computer seminar in Chicago by Chad Schwarz, President of Integrated Med Reps, LLC. . Chad is also Director of Patient & Community Relations for Affiliated Foot and Ankle of Howell, NJ. Chad thought I would learn useful information on social networking to help us as we plan our 31^st hunger walk. Dr. Hal Ornstein owner of Affiliated Foot and Ankle along with Janie Schildge our walk coordinator and Dr. Marie Varley our Church World Service NY/NJ Metro Regional Director all contributed to help with the expenses of the trip making it possible for me to attend. I am most grateful.

 The seminar presenters from Officite, LLC. provided insight into the new changes with Google and outlined tips for search engine optimization and discussed social media as a useful marketing tool for small and medium sized businesses. It was easy to see its use in promoting our hunger walk. We learned more about the connections between websites, blogs, Face Book and Twitter. The links between everything is what makes it work. We connect to each other.

Our CROP hunger walk is one of the largest in the nation. I invite you all to be part of our on line social network in 2011. Guest bloggers are welcome and encouraged to submit post content and share ideas and activities for CROP. Our blog feeds directly to our Face Book Page and we hope to make it more of a conversation where groups of all faiths, schools and youth groups can discuss the problems of those facing extreme poverty and hunger in our world.

Any easy way to start is to be sure you have bookmarked our blog as a “favorite”. If you have a Face Book account Click “Like” on our Face Book Page . Suggest it to your friends. We currently have over 200 people that clicked “Like” on our Face Book Page which is “public” so anyone can look at it. If 20 of their friends click like we would have 4000! The week before the walk as many as 600 different computers looked at our blog! We can use social networking to encourage new groups to join us in our efforts to feed the hungry. 


If 900 people got one more person to walk…you know. We grow! If your church, school or youth group has a website, blog or a Facebook Page let us know and we'll make you one of our "favorites".

Our motto has been We walk because they walk. Again, I thank Affiliated Foot and Ankle. They believe in keeping people walking. (PS my personal foot docs).  Janis Iwanyk

Save the Date! 

We Walk on World Food Day   Sunday  Oct. 16th 2011