Behind all the work that CWS does, there’s an underlying value that drives everything we do: community. This is such a recurring theme, that I’ve even had to pull out a thesaurus every now and then to ensure I don’t use this word too many times when writing about our programs. Some of the other words I’ve come up with include gathering, neighborhood, togetherness, and collective. At the CROP Hunger Walk this weekend, I saw all these words in action. Neighbors and communities gathered together for a collective good. It was wonderful and powerful and filled me with gratitude for the work we get to be a part of.
When we arrived at the event one of the first people I saw was Martha, a CROP Hunger Walk volunteer whose many years of devotion have made her a CROP Hunger Walk icon. Within the crowd of eager volunteers, Martha shined. She wore a clown costume, bucket hat and vest which was covered in hunger relief and CROP Hunger Walk buttons. She was a striped, fabulous delight.
As we approached the start line, I met another CROP Hunger Walk “hero,” John. Like most heroes, John wore a cape that showed off the CWS and CROP Hunger Walk logo as it flew in the wind. As I took photos of him, a big smile glimmered on his face and he emitted a radiant energy of excitement and joy. Along with the other individuals at the event, there was a shared enthusiasm about the day and the purpose behind it.
Throughout the walk, we met various families and groups who had set up educational tables. At one station we learned about sanitation and got to test our knowledge with trivia questions. If we got the answer right we got to flush a mini toy toilet ( “toy-let”?). At another table, we learned about water access and attempted to carry 5 gallons of water; something that many individuals around the world must do daily. Each station connected us walkers to our global program participants.
When we reached the end of our walk, our feet were tired but our hearts were full. Although we were in Austin and our program participants possibly thousands of miles away, our worldwide community seemed a lot closer that day. The meaning behind the walk felt much deeper than the already important purpose of fundraising for our programs. It was about people coming together and neighbors supporting neighbors. No matter how near or far they might be.
You can learn more about how to get involved in CROP Hunger Walks in your community by clicking here.
Mariana Gama is CWS’ Program Communications Specialist. She is based in Austin, TX.