HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson and Reno County CROP Hunger Walk returns this Sunday, October 12, at Rice Park, uniting local residents in a mission to fight hunger both at home and around the world.
Participants will gather at 1:30 p.m. at the Rice Park shelter to register, pack hygiene kits for disaster relief, and then set off on a walk of up to three miles beginning at 2 p.m. The event is one of more than 1,300 CROP Hunger Walks held nationwide each year through Church World Service (CWS), a faith-based humanitarian organization supporting hunger relief and agricultural development globally.
“We walk because they must walk — for food, for water, for safety,” said longtime local volunteer and event organizer Eileen Porter, who has been involved in the CROP Hunger Walk for nearly 50 years. “This is our way of standing in solidarity with people around the world who struggle every day to meet their basic needs.”
Local Impact
A quarter of all funds raised will remain in Reno County to support two local hunger-fighting agencies — the Christian Soup Ministry and the Reno County Food Bank.
The Christian Soup Ministry, led by Stanley Murdoch, serves about 120 meals four days a week and provides home-delivered meals to roughly 65 individuals referred through medical programs. Rising food costs and cuts in federal commodity programs have increased the organization’s expenses. “They spend six to seven hundred dollars a month just on meat, milk, eggs, and produce,” Porter noted.
The Reno County Food Bank, directed by Penny Taapkin, serves between 1,700 and 1,900 people monthly — an increase of up to 10 percent over last year. About 15 percent of the families served are new each month. In addition to the Hutchinson location, the Food Bank also supports smaller sites in Arlington, Turon, Sylvia, and Pretty Prairie.
“These local agencies are lifelines,” Porter said. “We’re seeing more families moving in together, larger households, and greater need than ever before.”
Global Reach
Seventy-five percent of proceeds from the walk will support Church World Service’s international programs. Funds help small farmers gain access to better seed, clean water, livestock, and agricultural training.
“Church World Service helps communities dig wells, start small livestock farms, and improve food security,” Porter said. “For example, just $22 can provide chickens to a family in Kenya, helping them produce eggs and income for their community.”
How to Participate
The walk begins at 2 p.m. Sunday at Rice Park Shelter, 44 Swarens Street in Hutchinson. Families, youth groups, and community members are encouraged to join, bring water, and walk as far as they wish. Donations of cash or checks made out to CWS/CROP will be accepted at the event.
Those unable to attend can contribute online or mail donations to Grace Episcopal Church, 2 Hyde Park Drive, Hutchinson, KS 67502.
“This is a great family activity,” Porter said. “We’re walking together for a cause that truly matters — helping our neighbors near and far.”