CROP Hunger Walk

On Sunday, Oct. 3, all are invited to participate in the 33rd CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Hunger Walk. Funds from the event help fight hunger and poverty. Sister Isoline Duclos, who has been a volunteer at the walk since 1984, is the chair of the festivities.

With help from fellow organization, Church World Service, in addition to the support from the local congregations, businesses, schools and community members, money raised at the walk is donated to various hunger-fighting groups in Vermont. This year, 25 percent of the money raised will go directly to buying food for Middlebury.

Church World Service was an instrumental force in the aftermath of the floods in Pakistan, as well as after the earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Nargis in Myanmar. It also participates in the “Enough for All” campaign, which works to provide countries with clean drinking water.

Duclos said the CROP Hunger Walk is an important event because it “gets food to where it’s needed most, whether here in Vermont or anywhere else in the world.” A Weybrigde resident, Duclos works with the Have-A-Heart organization in Bristol, Vt. and is the Religious Education Coordinator at St. Ambrose Catholic Church.

Festivities will begin with registration on the Middlebury Green at 11:30 pm. Duclos will address the crowds at 12:45, and the walk will follow her speech. There will also be food, a raffle and presentations from local hunger-fighting organization.

Last year, the CROP Hunger Walk raised over $22,000 and everyone has high expectations for the coming event. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to walk, and as last year there were strollers, canes and wheelchairs in the mix. Walkers must sign-up before they can get pledges.

Contact Patty Hallam at 802-388-1561 or visit www.churchworldservice.org for more information.