2 weeks Ago
The walk is a leisurely, less than a mile route from the church to Mayfield Elementary School and back, accessible to those in wheelchairs or on bikes. Participants can raise funds by getting sponsors, with a significant portion of the raised money going directly to the Mayfield Presbyterian Church food pantry. The pantry has seen a rise in demand, now serving nearly 80 people every two weeks, according to Crop Walk organizer Mary DiSanto-Rose.
“We used to serve around 30 to 40 people, and lately it's been almost up to 80 every two weeks on a Tuesday, because there's food insecurity in the world right now,” she said. DiSanto-Rose also coordinates the Friday Table initiative, providing meals to the community, which shifted to takeout four years ago due to COVID-19. “I'm excited to try to keep it vibrant and exciting for people to come together and enjoy the time walking and raising money to really help our food pantry, as well as other area programs,” she said.
CROP Hunger Walks are community-based walk fundraising events held in cities and towns across the United States, created to support the global mission of Church World Service, a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. After a CROP Hunger Walk ends, 25% of the funds raised are returned to the host community to support local hunger fighting efforts. The Crop Project began in 1947, when farmers were asked to donate food and seed crops to the hungry in post-World War II Europe and Asia.
The first CROP Hunger Walks took place in Bismarck, North Dakota (1969), and York, Pennsylvania (1970). Since then, CROP Hunger Walk events have been held in hundreds of communities, large and small, raising millions of dollars to eradicate hunger and poverty. The first local Crop Walk took place in 2011, right after the Mayfield Presbyterian Church suffered from a devastating fire.
The head of the Church World Service walked in solidarity with the walkers. “The mission of the church is to eradicate world hunger,” Pastor Bonnie Orth said. DiSanto-Rose highlighted the importance of providing fresh and healthy food to address food insecurity, with a focus on equity and fair wages.
“It's trying to create equity and finding appropriate pay for those who are in jobs that are absolutely needed but they're not getting enough salary to really cover the bills,” she said. The food pantry offers fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen meat, cereal and canned sauce among other items. “We try to give out frozen or fresh vegetables, because it keeps it fresher.
It's healthier than canned vegetables,” DeSanto-Rose said. Any questions can be directed to DiSanto-Rose at 518-224-2080..
