A New Year, A New Walk


Meghan Parsons | March 20, 2014

Photo: Mary Catherine Hinds/CWS

Photo: Mary Catherine Hinds/CWS

This is my fourth year on the planning committee for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County CROP Hunger Walk. I spent many years in grade school participating as a walker before taking a position on the planning committee, and my dad has been on the committee for over 18 years now. (I don’t even think he’s counting anymore). Needless to say the CROP Hunger Walk is important to me. You might even say it’s in my blood. I am so lucky to be part of a community that has supported the CROP Hunger Walk for over 30 years.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County has held a CROP Hunger Walk almost every year since 1979. Wow, that’s a lot of people walking, a lot of people caring, a lot of people who want to make a difference in their community and the world around them. Because of the CROP Hunger Walk, and the people that support it, two Winston-Salem food banks, Sunnyside Ministry and Crisis Control Ministry, receive funds every year to help serve the food insecure in our community. Hunger is everywhere, but North Carolina is ranked fifth in the U.S. for most food insecure, and knowing that makes us all open our eyes a little wider and give a little more.

CROP Hunger Walk committee members at a planning meeting. Photo: Meghan Parsons

CROP Hunger Walk committee members at a planning meeting. Photo: Meghan Parsons

Our committee just had its first meeting of 2014. It had been a couple of months since we had seen each other and we enjoyed sharing new ideas for this year’s Walk as well as getting updated numbers of raised funds from our last Walk. Every year we continue to get money trickling in, long after the Walk is over. Keep it coming; we never say no to money! The first couple of meetings of a are great. It’s been a couple months since the last CROP Hunger Walk so everyone has had time to rest and think up new ideas to bring to the table for the planning. Everyone is so energized and excited!

Our next Walk is Sunday, October 19, 2014. I can’t wait for us to outdo last year’s attendance and funds raised. We better get to work!

Want to volunteer to help your local CROP Hunger Walk? Look here to find your local Walk with contact information to reach out to their planning committee.

Meghan Parsons, CROP Hunger Walk organizer