Kendall County CROP Walk Sept. 22

19th annual Kendall County CROP Hunger Walk Sept. 22, 2013

-- helping end hunger one step at a time

OSWEGO, Ill.--Ending local and worldwide hunger one step at a time.

That’s the theme of the 19th annual Kendall County CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 1 p.m. Oswego Presbyterian Church, 1976 Rt. 25.

Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty (CROP) hunger walks are sponsored worldwide by Church World Service, an international relief agency.

The public is invited said Kathy Davidson of Montgomery, walk leader.

Kids and dogs (on leashes) are invited. Last year a dozen dogs accompanied their owners on the three-mile walk.

The event will open with registration and a hot dog lunch at 1 p.m..

At 1:30 p.m., the walk against hunger steps off on a route that ends at the church. Two water stops are included.

Davidson said the walk has set a goal of $20,000 to help stop hunger and poverty in Kendall and around the world, through self-help initiatives.

A portion of the funds raised in Oswego will go to the Yorkville-based Kendall County Food Pantry.

Last year, Kendall County walkers raised more than $10,000 in their locally organized CROP Hunger Walk.

Since 1985, the Kendall County walk has raised $158,371 to fight hunger. A quarter of those funds were returned to the local area. In Illinois, the Kendall County walk was the 26th highest online fundraising CROP event in 2012.

This year, Kendall County communities are among 2,000 cities and towns nationwide joining together in interfaith community CROP Hunger Walks around the theme "Ending hunger one step at a time."

Many of the CROP Walkers will be wearing T-shirts, proclaiming their solidarity with the millions of neighbors around the world who have to walk to live -- as well as with the millions served by local food pantries, food banks, and meal sites in the U.S.

CROP Hunger Walks also play a role in the U.S., helping communities ravaged by floods and tornadoes to recover.

Kendall churches participating with team recruiters are:

Montgomery--Neighborhood Church of the Brethren, Ginger Florence

Newark--Immanuel Lutheran, Laura Devick

Oswego--Oswego Presbyterian, Kathy Davidson, Montgomery

Plainfield--Followers of Christ Lutheran, Rev. Ron Voss; Wheatland Presbyterian, Nancy Krumpolz

Yorkville--Church of the Good Shepherd, Donna Rodriguez; Kendall County Food Pantry, MaryEllen Dempsay; Trinity Church United Methodist, Deb Croyle and Katherine Kunkel, Montgomery; Plattville United Methodist; AuSable Grove Presbyterian; Yorkville Congregational United Church of Christ, June Davis.

For more information about the Kendall County CROP Hunger Walk, call Davidson at 630-897-1108.

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